Charges · Drug trafficking · Alberta
What happens after a drug trafficking charge in Alberta?
What it means, what usually happens next, and what to bring to the first call.
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In short
- Trafficking is being accused of selling, giving, transporting or offering a controlled drug, or possessing it for the purpose of doing so.
- It is a federal charge, prosecuted by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, and it is treated far more seriously than simple possession.
- After a trafficking arrest in Alberta a bail hearing is common, and for many trafficking charges the Criminal Code places the onus on the accused to show why release is appropriate (a “reverse onus”).
What usually happens next
- At the scene
Search and seizure Police may search the person or vehicle and take items as evidence, including phones and cash. Items taken are usually listed.
- First hour
Arrest and rights The person is told the reason for the arrest and the right to speak to a lawyer privately. Police must give a chance to call one.
- Next few hours
Bail and the reverse onus Many trafficking charges carry a reverse onus at bail: the person charged has to show why release is appropriate.
- Before release
Released or held Trafficking charges are often held for a bail hearing, where the accused may have to show why release is appropriate.
- Afterwards
Seized property Seized items are usually kept until the case ends or a court orders them returned.
What should you bring to the first call?
What do we see with drug trafficking charges?
Trafficking files move slowly and start hard: a bail hearing is common, and for many trafficking charges the law puts the onus on the accused at that hearing. The first call is about the hearing — who could act as a surety, what address, what the seizure paperwork says. Remandly takes calls about bail hearings anywhere in Alberta. Answered 24/7, not voicemail.
What do people ask about drug trafficking charges?
What should I bring?
Bring every paper the police gave you (release order, undertaking, appearance notice); photo ID; any texts, photos or messages about it; any property receipt or seizure paperwork the police gave you, and the names of anyone else charged from the same incident.
Who prosecutes drug trafficking in Alberta?
In Alberta, a federal prosecutor from the Public Prosecution Service of Canada handles drug charges laid under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service does not. The case starts in the Alberta Court of Justice, called the Provincial Court of Alberta until April 1, 2023.
Who investigates organized crime in Alberta?
ALERT — Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams — brings together Alberta’s integrated policing units to tackle serious and organized crime.
Who speaks for the prosecution at a bail hearing in Alberta?
In Alberta, a Crown prosecutor speaks at every first-appearance bail hearing, by video or teleconference. A justice of the peace at the Court of Justice Hearing Office oversees the hearing.
Which court holds a first bail hearing in Alberta?
In Alberta, a first-appearance bail hearing is held before a justice of the peace of the Alberta Court of Justice, at its Court of Justice Hearing Office. That court was called the Provincial Court of Alberta until April 1, 2023.
Sources
- Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, s. 5 (Justice Laws), accessed September 22, 2026
- Criminal Code (Justice Laws), accessed September 22, 2026
- Public Prosecution Service of Canada, accessed September 22, 2026
- Alberta Court of Justice, accessed September 22, 2026
- Public Prosecution Service of Canada — areas of prosecution, accessed September 22, 2026
- Government of Alberta — renaming the provincial court (3 Oct 2022), accessed September 22, 2026
- Government of Alberta — law enforcement (ALERT), accessed September 22, 2026
- Alberta Crown Prosecution Service — contact and branches, accessed September 22, 2026
- Government of Alberta — justice of the peace bail hearings, accessed September 22, 2026
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