The Moose Jaw Police Service seized thousands of grams of drugs, several firearms and thousands of dollars in cash during two major operations within the past couple of months.
During an operation on Oct. 21, the police seized a restricted handgun — which accused Jirard Saddleback fired at them before his arrest — with a prohibited, extended magazine holding 30 rounds of ammunition. Saddleback allegedly did not possess a valid firearm licence to have this handgun.
After further investigations, police confirmed that the handgun had been stolen. Besides the gun, officers also seized 855 grams of methamphetamine and $6,620 in cash.
The police service’s tactical response team (TRT) worked with the Regina Police Service SWAT unit to ensure the community's safety, the MJPS said on its Facebook page. Both groups also had help from patrol members, the K-9 unit, the criminal investigation section (CIS), dispatchers, administration members, negotiators and a drone pilot.
The police service released a photo from the drone on its Facebook page showing officers arresting Saddleback. While this photo was new to local media, the organization had provided it to Regina media in October.
Meanwhile, the police completed a planned operation on Nov. 30 that involved patrol members, the K-9 unit, CIS, and the TRT. This operation resulted in police seizing:
- 320 grams of methamphetamine
- 50 grams of cocaine
- 153 grams of fentanyl
- 387 grams of an unknown powder
- $6,835.25 in cash
- Two sawed-off shotguns
- One rifle
- Multiple rounds of ammunition
Police arrested Zackery Marckoski — their main focus — along with Jessica Proulx, 21, Michael Joel McKechnie, 39, and Nicole Belsher, 37.
