A hostage-taking in Hay River ended with one person in hospital with serious injuries, three suspects arrested, and cocaine, illegal guns and cash seized by RCMP.
It was just the latest arrests this month of suspects with illegal guns and large amounts of cocaine and hard cash looking to exploit addicts in the North.
On Thursday, March 28, RCMP received a call that a seriously injured person was being held hostage at a residence in the South Slave town, stated in a Saturday release.
After police ‘made entry’ to the residence and rescused the hostage, they discovered:
- 700 grams of suspected crack cocaine;
- One firearm and one replica firearm; and
- Over $17,000 believed to be the proceeds of crime.
Three people are facing a list of charges:
- Forty-year-old Trisha Tambour of Hay River is charged with one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. She was released on a promise to appear in Hay River Territorial Court June 17.
- Twenty-year-old Hindowa Sama, of British Columbia, is charged with: Aggravated assault, unauthorized possession of a firearm; careless use of a firearm; forcible confinement; possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine; and two counts of failure to comply with a release order. He’s in custody with next court date on April 2.
- Nineteen-year-old Evan Rochon, of British Columbia, is charged with: Aggravated assault; two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm; five counts of failure to comply with a release order; forcible confinement; two counts of unsafe storage of a firearm; possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine; possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose; possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle; dangerous operation of a motor vehicle; and flight from a peace officer. He is also behind bars, with his next court appearance on April 3.
That last few charges stem from an incident the day before, when RCMP attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic offence in Hay River.
The vehicle fled at high speed down a residential street, with police choosing not to pursue it.
It was soon found after having crossing into a signpost.
The unidentified occupants of the vehicle had ran off, leaving a firearm behind in the vehicle.
But the following day at the suspected hostage taking, police recognized one of the arrested persons as the teenaged driver of the vehicle from the previous day.
Just in March, police have been kept busy investigating armed and dangerous drug dealers. Most are from down south and many are on bail for similar crimes in their home provinces.
- On March 26, a major bust took place in Yellowknife, resulting in three illegal handguns off of the streets, 2,477 grams of suspected cocaine with a street value of $300,000 seized, and two Toronto men in custody facing a long list of charges.
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Evidence seized during an RCMP raid in a hotel room in Inuvik in early March. (Photo submitted by RCMP.)
On March 16, an early morning a double homicide on residential Bigelow Crescent in Yellowknife was connected by RCMP to drug trafficking. No arrests have been made yet.
- On March 15, Hay River RCMP executed a search warrant on a Hay River suspected as being a venue for selling stolen property. There they found the goods and suspected fentanyl and crack-cocaine. Four in custody, with two hailing from Toronto,
- On March 7, cocaine, suspected opioids, and $15,000 in cash were seized by Inuvik RCMP following execution of a search warrant at a hotel room in the Beaufort Delta community. A 30-year old Edmonton man faces charges.
Police ask that anyone who has information about these incidents or other crimes is asked to contact the Hay River RCMP at (867) 874-1111 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.nwtnu.crimestoppersweb.com.
In the event of an emergency call, 911.
