DRUG-LADEN SUV HAD KIDS ON BOARD

Three children have been apprehended after a routine checkstop on the
Trans-Canada Highway led police to discover seven kilograms of fresh
marijuana in an SUV.

The children--aged one, five and six--were in a Dodge Durango that was
reeking of pot, police said.

The smell was strong enough to prompt an officer to search the vehicle
as it was stopped near Lake Louise on Tuesday.

Cochrane RCMP Sgt. Dave Hardy said the odour was probably stronger
because the marijuana was not dried.

"It would be very noticeable in that stage," he said.

Searching the vehicle revealed seven kilograms of marijuana--enough to
make about 27,000 joints, which would have a street-level value of
$102,000.

Hardy said the drugs were within the "living space" of the SUV and
could be accessed from the seats, although the pot was not in plain
view.

The vehicle had been stopped as part of a regular checkstop, which was
targeting impaired driving and roadworthiness, just west of Lake Louise.

The family had been in B.C. and were heading back to Calgary, Hardy
said.

As police arrested the male driver and female passenger, the couple's
three children-- one boy and two girls--were apprehended under the
Drug Endangered Children Act and handed over to Alberta Children and
Youth Services.

The act, which came into effect in November 2006, has resulted in 125
children being removed from situations where they were near the
production or trafficking of drugs.

Alberta Children and Youth Services spokesman Trevor Coulombe said
police are reporting the act is effective.

"They feel this act is working in terms of providing them with the
flexibility they need to remove children from dangerous situations
immediately," Coulombe said.

A 31-year-old man and 32-year-old woman, both from Calgary, have been
charged with trafficking and possession for the purpose of
trafficking. The man has also been charged with breach of
recognizance.

Neither are being named because it would identify the children
involved.

Both parents are due in Banff Provincial Court on Dec. 7.