Mounties arrest 7 after 'significant' seizure of drugs, guns on Vancouver Island
Mounties say seven people have been arrested after a series of co-ordinated property searches on Vancouver Island yielded multiple firearms, including 3D-printed handguns, and several kilograms of drugs.
Authorities say the investigation began in last November and targeted mid-level drug trafficking in the Cowichan Valley.
The probe eventually led to the searches of three residences in the Duncan area and one home in Sooke on March 12 and March 19.
During the searches, police seized an estimated three kilograms of suspected fentanyl, two kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and one and a half kilograms of suspected cocaine, the RCMP said in a news release Friday.
Forty litres of the drug gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) were also found, along with $240,000 in cash, 400 cartons of contraband cigarettes, body armour, a Taser, a 3D printer, one rifle and six handguns, including a pair of 3D-printed pistols, according to the release.
Police have only identified one of those arrested as 38-year-old Grant Giles of the Fraser Valley. He stands charged with four counts of drug trafficking and one count of failing to comply with a court order.
Court records show Giles has a lengthy criminal history, including previous charges of assault, drug trafficking and flight from police. He is scheduled to appear in court on the most recent charges on Monday.
Investigators say drug and weapons charges are still pending against a 32-year-old man from Greater Victoria and a 38-year-old woman from the Cowichan Valley.
"This series of arrests and search warrant executions will have a significant impact on the drug supply for Cowichan and the South Island and make our communities safer," Staff-Sgt. Deborah Kelly, commander of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP's plainclothes unit, said in the release.
"From the fentanyl seizure alone, approximately 25,000 street-level doses were seized," Kelly added.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.