During the first day of former correctional officer Michael Gaber’s trial Wednesday, Yukon Supreme Court heard a 1 1/2-hour tape of an RCMP member interrogating him.

Gaber, 47, was charged on Dec. 26, 2013 with two counts of possessing drugs for the purpose of trafficking.

That day, his superior searched him upon arrival at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.

The search yielded 59 pills the police identified as Ritalin.

A subsequent search of his car led to the discovery of marijuana, which was excluded from the trial because the search was illegal.

At the very start of the interrogation, RCMP Const. Gerald Sherk makes it clear to Gaber that the interrogation is being filmed, and that he doesn’t have to speak to the police.

“It’s not about what happened,” Sherk tells him.

“It’s why it happened.”

The recording was shown in Yukon Supreme Court but the audio recording is of poor quality, making it hard to understand what Gaber said at times.

A transcript of the tape was provided to the court but wasn’t filed – meaning the media can’t access it.

Throughout the interrogation, Sherk insists the RCMP already have all the evidence they need, and he wants to understand why Gaber, who he describes as a family man, did such a thing.

“We’re talking about a guy trying to support his family – not a guy trying to get people hooked up on crack,” Sherk tells him.

Gaber talks about his family – his wife and two children – and the bills piling up.

“Things were getting tight,” he said.

Gaber is adamant about the fact he didn’t know what was in the packages he was smuggling inside the jail.

Later on, Sherk presses him about the possibility weapons were smuggled without his knowledge.

The packages were too small for a powered-weapon, and there were no “shanks” – jail slang for a makeshift knife – he told Sherk.

The packages mostly contained tobacco and pot.

Tobacco inside the jail was twice as expensive than outside.

There were other ways to smuggle contraband into the jail – through people visiting, or the kitchen – but he was a direct, more secure way for people who wanted to get stuff in, Gaber said.

Whoever paid Gaber to smuggle packages inside the jail remains a mystery – anytime Sherk would ask about it, the former jail guard would only say his lawyer told him not to say anything.

Sherk continues for the last third of the interrogation to press him for names, saying the same people will do it again, find more vulnerable jail personnel, and get them into trouble.

Around the end of the interrogation, Sherk asks Gaber what he plans to tell his family.

“I don’t know, be honest,” he said.

“I’ll hope she’ll (Gaber’s wife) be understanding.”

Gaber was present in the public gallery when the tape was shown, displaying little to no reaction.

Earlier that day, the court heard from Const. Daniel Bray, who, along with Const. Dan Rouleau, responded to the WCC’s call when Gaber was searched.

Once at RCMP headquarters, Rouleau brought Gaber to a cell while Bray took care of packaging the pills in evidence bags and putting them in a evidence locker.

Defence lawyer David Tarnow questioned Bray at length about his training in handling evidence and taking samples of suspected illicit substances.

Bray testified he sent 10 pills to the Health Canada lab for analysis.

“Did you use spray or a piece of paper to make sure the surface was free of contaminant?” Tarnow asked Bray.

“No – I think I used gloves, but I can’t recall specifically,” Bray answered.

Tarnow asked whether the constable sought directions from Health Canada on how to send the evidence.

“You never learnt it should be sent by registered mail?” the lawyer asked.

“I sent it by ExpressPost,” the constable replied.

Tarnow made him open a sealed envelope in court that was returned from the lab.

The envelope only contained nine pills, the lawyer noted.

The trial continued today with experts from the Crown and the defence about the pills seized and the subsequent analysis done.

Justice Ron Veale is hearing the case.