The Northwest Territories sneakiest criminal turned a subterranean crawl space into his drug dealing headquarters but local RCMP proved they’re not afraid to get down and dirty, busting his operation in a $7,000 cash grab.Yellowknife native Jeantae Smith has been arrested by Whatì RCMP after the detachment received several tips that a drug dealer was operating in a crawl space beneath a local residence. The homeowner, who was oblivious to his uninvited guest’s presence, assisted police in locating the suspect.Upon arresting the 19-year old drug trafficker, Police say they confiscated 140 grams of suspected crack cocaine..According to police, Smith has been charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and unlawfully being in a dwelling. “The Whatì RCMP wishes to express gratitude to those community members who refuse to tolerate illicit drugs in their community,” police said in a news release. “Information from the public is the best tool police have when combatting the drug trade.”Smith has since appeared before a Justice of the Peace and was subsequently remanded into custody. .The community, which is located 250 km northwest of Yellowknife, has seen a sizable increase in crime in recent years, ever since Whatì was connected to the rest of the Northwest Territories road network through the Tłı̨chǫ Hwy. in late 2021. Anyone with information on this or other drug related crimes is encouraged to contact the Whatì RCMP at 867-573-1111 or Crime Stoppers at www.p3tips.com.
