An undisclosed amount of pure fentanyl was among the cache of drugs and weapons seized by New Westminster police recently.
The New Westminster Police Department detailed the steps that led to a “significant” bust at a press conference on Monday. The investigation began several months back when the department’s street crime unit began looking into drug dealing operations in the Royal City, according to Sgt. Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the department.
But the investigation didn’t stop at the city limits.
Investigators from Surrey RCMP, Delta Police, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (the provincial drug squad), Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team and Canada Border Services Agency were all brought in to participate.
After several months, search warrants were executed at locations in New Westminster and Surrey that resulted in the seizure of heroine containing lethal levels of fentanyl and pure fentanyl. The estimated street value of the drugs is $300,000, according to Scott.
Firearms, including assault rifles, a shot gun and a sawed-off shot gun, and replica firearms were also taken during the searches, as well as a number of vehicles.
“Numerous people who are known to police were arrested as a result of this investigation, and charges are now being put to Crown counsel for charge approval, which include multiple counts of trafficking of a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence,” Scott said.
The details about who and how many suspects were charged has not released as charges haven’t been approved yet. Investigators are expected to submit their recommendations to Crown counsel as soon as possible. Once the charges have been approved, more details will be released regarding the suspects. At this time, all suspects arrested have been released pending court appearances, Scott said.
Whether or not production of fentanyl was taking place at any of the locations searched by police is also unknown at this time.
“This is very significant. We’re part of a multi-pronged approach in trying to stop this opioid crisis in the province, and as you can see from the large number of drugs that we seized, as well as the firearms that we seized, this poses a high-risk to public safety, and we want to get out in front of it by educating people about the risks of drugs and risks of fentanyl specifically,” Scott said.
Chief Const. Dave Jones said the investigation is only part of the department’s approach to combatting the ongoing opioid crisis plaguing the Lower Mainland. Other efforts include equipping and training all officers and staff with Naloxone nasal spray, although none have had to administer it yet.
“From a New Westminster perspective, this is, I would say, a significant dent,” he said. “We know this is one line that we were able to cut off, and we’re not unrealistic to think that somebody won’t try to step in, my word to them is, ‘If you step in, we’ll be ready for the next one.’”
