Suspects traded street drugs for safer supply outside B.C. pharmacy, police say
Prince George RCMP say after multiple days of investigation, including surveillance outside one of the city’s pharmacies, officers arrested two people who had been offering illicit drugs in exchange for safer supply opioids.
Cpl. Jennifer Cooper said searches of the suspects uncovered "safer supply that was obviously not theirs on their person."
“A search warrant that was conducted subsequent to these arrests at the home of one of these people also located more diverted safer supply inside the residence, as well as evidence of drugs trafficking,” said Cooper.
When asked if the arrests gave him reason for concern about B.C.’s safer supply program, Premier David Eby pivoted to thanking the police.
“I am certainly grateful for the RCMP’s work on this, and continue to encourage them to investigate and address issues of diversion of prescription drugs of any kind, including prescribed alternatives,” said Eby.
Elenore Sturko, the BC United critic for mental health and addiction, said she’s not surprised drug dealers are exploiting safer supply users.
“Someone comes out of a pharmacy with their prescribed safe supply, and is met head on with a drug dealer offering them illicit drugs in exchange for those drugs to be then distributed into the community. It’s pretty evident this is exactly how this problem has become a problem in B.C.,” said Sturko, who is pushing the government to change to a witnessed safer supply program, where drugs are taken by the user on the spot, at the location the medication is handed out.
“Because when someone is taking the medication witnessed, it really cuts down their opportunity to then take that medication and exchange it for an illicit substance with a drug dealer,” said Sturko.
The two Prince George suspects arrested outside the pharmacy, who are known to police for similar drug trafficking offences, have been released from custody pending charges and further investigation.
“We do want to find out just how many places are being targeted for their safer supply. As patrons are coming out of the pharmacies, how many of them have drug dealers that are waiting to make exchanges for those medications,” said Cooper. “We want to find out where safer supply is going.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
Passenger killed, 30 injured as Singapore Airlines flight hits severe turbulence
One passenger was killed and 30 injured after a Singapore Airlines SIAL.SI flight from London hit severe turbulence en route on Tuesday, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, officials and the airline said.
Conservatives kick off return to House with new call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives returned to the House of Commons on Tuesday with a renewed call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign, this time over 'very partisan' and 'inflammatory' language used to promote an upcoming event.
Trump campaign calls 'The Apprentice' 'blatantly false,' director offers to screen it for him
Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice,' a film about the former U.S. president in the 1980s, 'pure fiction' and vowed legal action following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
Feels like mid-30s in parts of Canada, while other areas expecting snow
Anything is possible this week, as far as Canada's weather is concerned, with forecasts ranging from scorching heat in some parts of the country to rain and snow in others.
Nestle to sell $5 pizza, sandwiches in the U.S. for Wegovy, Ozempic users
Nestle NESN.S will market a new, US$5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States which it says it designed specifically for people taking drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss.
How much more Canadian consumers are paying, compared to this time last year
Canada's annual inflation rate slowed to a three-year low of 2.7 per cent in April, matching expectations, and core measures continued to ease, data showed on Tuesday, likely boosting chances of a June interest rate cut.
Amal Clooney is one of the legal experts who recommended war crimes charges in Israel-Hamas war
Amal Clooney is one of the legal experts who recommended that the chief prosecutor of the world's top war crimes court seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of the militant Hamas group.
Flight PS752 victims' families say they're not sorry to hear of Iran president death
Members of a Canadian group representing families of those killed when Iranian officials shot down Flight PS752 in January 2020 say they are not sorry to hear of the death of Iran's president.