DELTA Police said on Wednesday that in February 2021, they arrested two individuals in a stolen SUV at the intersection of 96 Avenue and 128 Street in Surrey. A subsequent search revealed evidence linking one of the individuals to drug trafficking.

Following their arrest, the pair was released from custody, awaiting further investigation. This included the lab analysis of the seized drugs and an expert review of the evidence. It wasn’t until September 2021, that charges of possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking were officially filed against Ryan Michael Harker of Langley.

On November 18, 2023, Surrey RCMP executed an arrest warrant related to Delta’s initial charges. During this arrest, a loaded firearm was recovered from Harker’s person.

The process from the initial investigation to the approval of charges spanned seven months.

Subsequently, an additional 26 months have elapsed since the charges were approved, and as of now, trial dates still have not been scheduled.

The significant delay between the date of the original offence and the yet-to-be-scheduled trial raises concerns for public safety, as highlighted by the evidence presented in the Surrey RCMP’s media release regarding Harker’s arrest on November 18.

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