Months after putting forward the idea of a drug enforcement task force, the Manitoba government is moving ahead with the premier’s plan with its first meeting happening today.

Premier Wab Kinew hinted at the task force last November in the throne speech, promising the establishment of a body to help coordinate drug enforcement among all police agencies in the province.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced the creation of Manitoba’s Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Task Force on Wednesday.

The task force, Wiebe said, would strengthen the response to the trafficking of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and other illicit drugs.

“We’re charting a new course to address drug enforcement in Manitoba,” Wiebe said. “Toxic drugs have devastated people, they’ve devastated individuals and they’ve devastated whole communities … Manitobans have had enough.”

When he first announced what he called a “meth task force,” Kinew said the Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP, and “all the law enforcement agencies including First Nations” would be involved to “bring the hammer down” on drug traffickers.

Officials from the WPS, RCMP and Manitoba First Nations Police Service were all in attendance Wednesday, alongside Kevin Brosseau, Canada’s fentanyl czar.

Wiebe said the task force was the first of its kind and would hold its first meeting later on Wednesday. A second meeting, he said, is already planned for March 20.

The minister said under advice and guidance of Brosseau, a province-wide enforcement strategy focused on resources and coordination will be honed.

Brosseau said with multi-commodity trafficking, complex organized crime groups and synthetic drugs that are cheaper and more potent, it requires an “equally sophisticated, coordinated, and united” response.

“It reflects what’s really simple, but it’s a vital truth that no single agency on its own, no matter how capable, can meet these challenges alone,” Brosseau said.

According to a news release, the task force will look at new ways to disrupt criminal organizations, including using unexplained wealth orders, and support joint police operations.

An unexplained wealth order can be used to require a person to provide information about how they lawfully acquired property or an interest in property that is suspected to be linked to crime.

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Wiebe said organized crime is operating at both an international and national level, but in Manitoba the drugs are being brought in and distributed and impacting both big and small communities.

“This is an opportunity for us to bring everyone to one table, to bring the expertise and develop the opportunities together at one table and to really go after those organized crime groups,” Wiebe said.

He added what spurred the creation of the task force was the government’s commitment to getting “tough on crime.”

Assistant commissioner Scott McMurchy, commanding officer of the Manitoba RCMP, said when it comes to their jurisdictions they see everything from street-level individual dealers to small gangs to street gangs in the province.

He also said he’s heard concerns from multiple jurisdictions about what they’re seeing.

“Crystal meth and methamphetamines is taking over the city of Winnipeg, it’s taking over the city of Brandon, and it is slowly creeping into rural Manitoba,” McMurthy said.

“I work very closely with First Nations leaders in northern Manitoba, Grand Chiefs, Chiefs and Councils, and they are deathly afraid of the wave of drugs that are coming into their communities.”

He also raised concerns about the synthetic drugs that are being seen, like fentanyl and other opiates.

Winnipeg Police Service Chief Gene Bowers said the task force will also look at how to improve the tools they use to combat drug crime, including improving technology just as drug dealers and organized crime are doing the same.

Bowers had one message though to dealers as the task force begins its work: “If you’re going to do this kind of behaviour, you’re going to end up in handcuffs.”

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