The Cranbrook RCMP detachment have nabbed one of Calgary's most wanted in a drug bust on January 11.
Robert Bach, 35, who is wanted on charges of robbery in Alberta, appeared in Cranbrook Provincial Court on January 16 where he pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. He was sentenced to one month in custody – to be served at a B.C. institution.
The possession charges stem from a search warrant executed by the Cranbrook RCMP detachment on January 11 at 8th Street North in Cranbrook.
Once inside the residence, the members arrested three males and one female after locating 68 tablets of ecstasy, a 15-gram bag of cocaine and five smaller bags of cocaine. Each smaller bag contained about a half gram of cocaine.
RCMP also seized evidence that supported a charge of trafficking and a set of brass knuckles. Under the Criminal Code, brass knuckles are considered a prohibited weapon.
Cpl. Chris Newel of the Kimberley/Cranbrook detachment said cocaine is typically sold in half-gram to one-gram portions, and the seizure is considered a major one for the combined detachments.
"Drugs are a concern to everyone in the community," he said.
Three of the four are now facing charges of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, and one male was released without charges. Bach and another person remain in custody, while a third has been released and will appear in court later this month.
Bach was one of Calgary’s most wanted criminals last year, wanted on charges after a violent robbery, according to Newel.
He had been residing in Cranbrook, however Newel did not say how long he had been residing here or what originally brought him to the Cranbrook area. The man’s warrant has been in effect in Alberta since November 15, 2012.
Crown counsel Andrew Mayes said after Bach serves his sentence it is expected that Crown counsel in Alberta will apply for a Spring Order to the Supreme Court to have him returned to Alberta to face the robbery charges there.
Newel said the Cranbrook and Kimberley detachments often work together on complicated files like this. They also collaborate with the Elk Valley, other Kootenay communities and beyond if the matter calls for it.
“Drug traffickers are not confined to one city or town,” he said. “They don’t have boundaries.”