RCMP team touts success with gun, drugs seizures and arrests

A newly minted RCMP team targeting violent crimes in rural Manitoba is touting its recent success after officers seized firearms, drugs and stolen property and arrested more than a dozen people.

The RCMP's Strategic Enforcement Response Team (SERT) was created in August to deal with violent crimes in rural communities in Manitoba and focuses on intelligence gathering and enforcement.

On Monday, the team marked its second successful deployment.

Supt. Rob Lasson, the officer in charge of the Major Crimes Unit for the Manitoba RCMP, said officers with the RCMP along with Brandon police and Manitoba First Nation Police Service were focused on the Central Plains area of the province.

"Police focused on a number of prolific offenders in and around the Central Plains area, which included the city of Portage la Prairie, Sandy Bay First Nation and Dakota Tipi First Nation," said Lasson.

Officers with SERT were out in the community between Nov. 21 and 25. During this time, Lasson said police seized 13 firearms, 22 additional weapons including machetes, knives, brass knuckles and batons, methamphetamine and various stolen property. On top of the seizures, police executed 13 arrest warrants.

"Additionally, numerous compliance and curfew checks were completed. These checks led to three prolific offenders being arrested and charged for being in breach of their conditions."

Lasson added four of their top five most notable offenders in the Central Plains area were arrested during this deployment.

With SERT being in the area, officers were able to lay 36 charges in total ranging from firearm offences to possession of stolen property.

RCMP did not release the names of those arrested.