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Vancouver police seize nearly $3M in street drugs, eight handguns after four-month probe

Drugs include fentanyl, cocaine, cannabis and methamphetamine

Vancouver police said they seized nearly $3 million in drugs and eight semi-automatic handguns after a four-month-long investigation.

Police announced the seizure during a Wednesday press conference.

The weapons seized were eight handguns, all nine millimetre semi-automatics, and two 50-round drum magazines for ammunition.

The drugs included 20 kilograms of suspected fentanyl with a bulk street value of $1.6 million, one kilogram of cocaine with a bulk street value of $60,000, six kilograms of methamphetamine with a bulk street value of $90,000, 13 kilograms of cannabis shatter with a bulk street value of $500,000, 320 kilograms of cannabis bud with a bulk street value of $700,000, and 26 kilograms of cutting agent with a bulk street value of $26,000. Two cars were also seized.

“At street level, the value of this would be significantly higher,” Insp. Bill Spearn said.

“This is probably the most fentanyl I’ve seen in one spot.”

Spearn said the seizures were a result of five search warrants. Four of them were carried out in southeast Vancouver at a residential home, an apartment building, a commercial building and a commercial storage locker. The fifth was carried out at a warehouse in Richmond.

Police said eight people were arrested and later release but that charges were expected to be recommended to Crown.

“A few of the suspects were known to us,” Spearn said.

Although borders are closed to non-essential travel, Spearn said this seizure shows the influx of drugs into the country is continuing, likely at least partially through the ports. Some is also being made domestically, he noted.


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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