Story by Brad Perry

A man from the Tobique First Nation has been charged after a lengthy drug investigation by the RCMP.

36-year-old Timothy Sappier was one of five people to appear in court in Saint-Quentin Thursday, May 31.

He is charged with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine.

RCMP arrested Sappier, along with two people from Kedgwick and one person from Montreal Wednesday, May 30.

The fifth person to appear in court Thursday, a man from Saint-Jacques, was arrested earlier in the investigation.

As part of their three-year long operation known as "J-Themis," police seized about 10,000 methamphetamine pills, two kilograms of cocaine and 4.5 kilograms of marijuana.

Three other people were arrested earlier in the investigation and will appear in court at a later date.

Sgt. Alain Lang of the RCMP's Federal Operations West in Saint-Leonard says enough drugs were seized to make about 20,000 individual drug deals.

Police believe the men are all part of an organized crime group supplying illegal drugs to northwestern New Brunswick.