12 at CFB Wainwright face 70 drug charges

Twelve current and former members of the military stationed at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in eastern Alberta have been charged with 70 drug offences.

Charges include possession of a controlled substance, production of a controlled substance and drug trafficking.

The substances alleged to be involved are cocaine, the hallucinogenic drug DMT, cannabis, ecstasy and some prescription drugs.

Two of the accused have also been charged with production of DMT.

A DMT lab was found in a residence on the base, which is usually reserved for privates awaiting release or training, said Maj. Daniel Dandurand, officer commanding the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service's Western Region Detachment.

The street value of the drugs was estimated at $10,000 by Dandurand.

The arrests were made under the National Defence Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The military announced in April that four soldiers at CFB Wainwright had been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking.

"This is a rare occurrence where we have such an investigation of this magnitude with this result," Dandurand said.

Those charged are: Cpl. Thomas MacDougall, Pte. Jeffrey Brennan, Pte. Benjamin Humphrey, Pte. Dominique Malette, Pte. Glen Morgan, Pte. Michael Polack, Pte. Claude Roger Rocan, Pte. Clayton Taylor and Pte. Matthew Wright.

Three former privates who worked on the base have also been charged: Michael Masserey, David McKinnell and Melyssa Lake, who was previously charged on May 19.