West Shore RCMP and the B.C. Uniformed Gang Enforcement Team arrested eight individuals in a joint operation on Oct. 26.
The operation lasted over three days, with 19 investigations happening concurrently, according to the RCMP.
“Six of those were specific to drug trafficking and we were able to uncover cash, weapons, and drugs,” said Cpl. Nancy Saggar, media relations officer, West Shore RCMP.
The investigation led to the seizure of drugs, including suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, crack cocaine, weapons and $8,000 in cash.
Drug trafficking is usually hard for RCMP and police officers to detect in the community, she said, but the team had worked with the British Columbia Uniformed Gang Enforcement Team to identify hotspots around the West Shore.
“We have to put a concerted effort into investigating these particular types of crimes because they’re so hidden,” she said.
One of the more concerning aspects of the investigation is that the fentanyl has been disguised as oxycontin, which would make it hard for users to know what they were ingesting, Saggar said.
She said that most drugs have now been decriminalized in B.C., but using any drug while driving a motor vehicle is still illegal.
In one of the investigations, a driver was arrested for accessing drugs and posing a threat to public safety on the road, according to Saagar.
The West Shore RCMP does not think there is an increase in drug trafficking in the area but has dedicated more officers to preventing it, she said.
“We’re not content to sit back and let drugs ravage our community.”
