METH BUST WORTH $168G

61-year-old city man charged

City narcotics detectives have seized $168,000-worth of methamphetamine
after pulling over a car, and have charged a 61-year-old with trafficking.

"This is one of the biggest busts in which officers seized methamphetamine
being transported, ready to hit the street," Edmonton Police Service
spokesman Dean Parthenis said yesterday.

"It certainly put a dent in the activity, but it's only one battle."

City police say they spotted a 1991 Oldsmobile Delta 88 near 53 Street and
129 Avenue that looked suspicious.

Police kept an eye on the car and stopped it near 50 Street and 130 Avenue.
After getting a search warrant, police say they discovered 2.3 kg of meth,
making it one of the largest individual meth seizures in city police history.

Parthenis said the amount seized could supply roughly 2,000 users for a
short period, depending on their addiction.

Police also found pepper spray at the scene. Parthenis said he wasn't sure
if it was in the car or on the man.

The car's driver was arrested without incident.

Although the bust is a "step in the right direction," Parthenis said it
doesn't get all the drug off the street since cops know there are still
meth labs in the city.

"There's no doubt there's others out there," said Parthenis, pointing out
cops are also now hearing from people they arrest for robberies and thefts
that they're addicted to meth.

Last year, a mega meth lab was uncovered. The lab at 17826 107 Ave. -
capable of producing up to $1 million of the drug a day - was discovered by
cops with a search warrant on Nov. 28, along with about 7.8 kg of meth,
said cops.

The find came after an employee of the warehouse's owner went to check on a
new renter and found the lab.

Meth's popularity among young people has also grown because it's cheap and
accessible, say those who work with young offenders, and has been tied to
surges in everything from home invasion robberies to credit fraud to
homelessness.

Gerald Martin Salvino, 61, of Edmonton, is charged with possession of a
controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a
prohibited weapon in a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a
suspended licence and failing to provide proof of valid registration.