Two small children are safe in protective custody, after they were rescued from a northeast Edmonton home where their parents were allegedly turning cocaine from powder to rock.
Bearing a search warrant, police say officers entered a home at 163 Avenue and 64 Street on Friday, and discovered almost a kilogram of the drug in stages of conversion to crack, packaging material, a pistol, ammunition and around $60,000 in cash.
A 23-year-old woman, a 24-year-old man and their two children — a little girl and a newborn baby boy — were home when police executed the search.
The couple were arrested, and the children were taken into protective custody under the Drug-Endangered Children Act, legislation intended to protect kids living in drug houses.
Child and Family Services spokeswoman Cheryl Oxford told Metro even if kids don’t have direct access to narcotics, they’re still at significant risk for harm, even if drugs are hidden in the home.
“It could be anything from inhalation, absorption or ingestion of toxic chemicals and potential fires and explosions,” she said. “Some may suffer from lack of medical or dental care, poisoning, stress, anxiety and internal organ damage.”
Both parents were charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, careless storage of ammunition and two counts of willfully causing a child to be drug-endangered.
Seized cash was referred for forfeiture under the Victims Restitution and Compensation Payment Act.
