SASKATOON – A Saskatoon woman arrested in a huge drug bust last year was given 180 days in jail.
Tricia Anne Karpluk, 40, was handed the global sentence in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Nov. 14 on several weapons and drug trafficking related offences.
Karpluk, of Saskatoon, and Rudi Betthel, 55, of Bjorkdale, were arrested in April 2021 after police raided homes in Saskatoon and Bjorkdale following a traffic stop.
A month prior, the Saskatoon Integrated Crime Reduction Team (S-ICRT), the RCMP Prince Albert Gang Task Force, along with the Melfort and Tisdale RCMP Detachments joined forces in an investigation after they learned about the presence of large quantities of drugs in the area. The S-ICRT is made up of personnel from the Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatchewan RCMP. The S-ICRT is aimed at disrupting, curtailing and reducing criminal activity in Saskatchewan.
The S-ICRT conducted a vehicle stop at the investigative team's direction just outside of Saskatoon on Highway 7 near Township Road 340. Betthel, of Bjorkdale, was driving and allegedly had a significant amount of methamphetamine, Fentanyl, cocaine, and related drug paraphernalia in his possession.
After the traffic stop police got a search warrant for a home on the 100 block of Hara Avenue in Bjorkdale where they seized firearms, methamphetamine, ketamine, hydromorphone and additional drug paraphernalia. Police then executed a search warrant at a home on the 300 block of Avenue N south in Saskatoon and seized drugs, a firearm, and weapons.
Betthel was charged with five counts of trafficking drugs, five counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, and five counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
Betthel was released on bail and was soon wanted by police after he failed to appear in Saskatoon Court. He was arrested in March 2022 after the the RCMP gang unit, along with the Warrant Enforcement Suppression Team and Greenwater RCMP raided a home in Archerwill.
At the home, police seized an illegally modified firearm, machete, Tazer, knife, other weapons and ammunition, methamphetamine, LSD, OxyContin and other pills, as well as a sum of cash. The RCMP say that a search warrant was obtained after a police investigation determined there was evidence of drug trafficking at the Archerwill home. Archerwill is about 70 kilometres southeast of Melfort.
Betthel was charged with possession of methamphetamine, four counts of failing to comply with a release order, and possession of proceeds of crime.
Betthel now remains in custody and his last appearance in Saskatoon Provincial Court was on Thursday. His matter was adjourned to Nov. 23 for a show cause hearing.
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