A project to investigate suspected drug dealing and on-going criminal activity in New Westminster by the Street Crime Unit of the city’s police force quickly developed into a much broader drug investigation that expanded into other municipalities.
The investigation spanned several months and resulted in the Street Crime Unit working with the Surrey RCMP, Delta Police Department, the Canadian Border Services Agency, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia, and the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team.
Several search warrants were executed throughout Surrey and New Westminster and a number of vehicles, a large quantity of cash, multiple firearms, replica firearms, and a large amount of drugs including heroin containing lethal levels of fentanyl and pure fentanyl were seized. The total amount of drugs from the seizure had an estimated street value of approximately $300,000.
Numerous people were arrested and the New Westminster Police Department announced on Monday they will be recommending several charges, including:
- Multiple counts of trafficking in a controlled substance
- And multiple counts of conspiracy to commit an indictable offence
“What you see today is only a part of the multi-prong effort the New Westminster Police Department is using to combat the opioid crisis,” stated Chief Constable Dave Jones. “This includes enforcement, harm reduction, prevention and education.”
The New Westminster Police Department reminded the public to report suspected drug activity to their local police.