RCMP charge 7 in 4 Sask. communities with meth, weapons offences

Police arrested seven people in four Saskatchewan communities Thursday and Friday, resulting in several methamphetamine and weapons possession charges.

The arrests took place in Melfort, Arcola, Carlyle and Regina.

"We're certainly concerned about the amount of meth," said Insp. Rob Thorarinson, the officer in charge of the RCMP's Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit for Saskatchewan.

"It's not just an urban concern, as you see. It's province-wide and making its way into our rural areas as well."

Thorarinson says cracking down on the meth trade is a priority, alongside searching for other prevalent drugs such as fentanyl.

"Meth is an insidious drug that causes all kinds of social harms in our cities and it's very addictive and it's very difficult to get off it," he said.

"It leads to a lot of social problems — a lot of minor thefts in order for people to pay for their habits."