Two former members of the Canadian Forces were charged with cocaine trafficking following separate, wide-ranging investigations by military police.

The charges against an ex-sailor and an ex-soldier were laid in mid-August, but the military only released the information Friday, a spokeswoman for the provost marshal's office said.

Former Ordinary Seaman Kevin McArthur faces three charges — drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and conduct that's prejudicial to good order and discipline, an offence under the National Defence Act.

McArthur was charged on Aug. 19 in the military justice system and is expected to face a court martial once a military prosecutor reviews the case.

McArthur was a member of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in St-Jean, Que., and was released from the Forces last spring while the investigation was underway.

Former Pte. Ryan Sorbie was charged Aug. 18 in civilian court with trafficking cocaine at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa in Ontario at the conclusion of a separate investigation.

It is unclear when he'll appear in court for a preliminary hearing.

Not a drug crackdown, officials say

Lt. Sandra Bourne, of the provost marshal's office, couldn't explain why the cases were being dealt with under different judicial systems.

The penalties for drug trafficking under the National Defence Act and the Criminal Code of Canada are the same, she said.

Bourne wouldn't discuss details of either case or what led military police to target the men.

Sorbie was let go from the army in June while he was under investigation.

Bourne said the cases might look similar but are not part of an organized crackdown on drug use in the military, which has come under increased scrutiny, especially with the war in Afghanistan.

"Although the cases have similar timelines and charges, they're not related at all," she said in an interview Friday.

"It is coincidence they wrapped up at the same time. CFNIS [Canadian Forces National Investigation Service] always works to ensure a drug-free environment within the CF. It's not any particular kind of action."

The charges show how seriously the military responds to allegations of drug use, said Maj. Daniel Dandurand, acting commanding officer of the investigative service.

Testing done in 2008

The military would not say whether the charges are related to a series of drug tests conducted at various stations and naval ships last year.

Urine tests conducted at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, north of Quebec City, twice in 2008 found 51 people tested positive for cocaine, 54 tested positive for marijuana and several more for amphetamines.

At Petawawa, drug tests in January 2008 found 13 cocaine users, 16 marijuana users and three with opiates in their urine.

Throughout 2008, the testing program found signs of illegal drug use in 170 out of 5,920 military members tested.

The military conducts mandatory drug tests for soldiers headed on overseas deployments, a screening program that snared over 250 members of the military and barred them from being sent to Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007.