The Prince George RCMP were part of a multi-week, multi-city initiative by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. (CFSEU-BC) to combat gang activity in the province over the first three months of the year.
Police in Prince George, Langley, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Vancouver and Victoria made multiple arrests and seized drugs, weapons, cash and stolen property, according to information released on Tuesday.
“The BC RCMP is committed to working closely with CFSEU-BC and other policing partners to combat organized crime in our province,” said Supt. Jim Elliott, acting deputy criminal operations officer for the B.C. RCMP. “This joint operation is a perfect example of how collaboration can lead to significant disruptions to organized crime groups.”
Uniformed gang patrols were deployed in the north, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island to “high-risk places at key times in order to disrupt firearm violence and interdict illegal weapons and commodities,” the statement issued by the CFSEU-BC.
Police seized approximately two kilograms of illicit drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin; roughly 16 pounds of black market cannabis products; five firearms and assorted ammunition; body armour; 89 other weapons ranging from knives and brass knuckles to a Taser and airsoft rifle modified to shoot arrows; roughly $70,000 in cash; $80,000 in recovered stolen property including designer watches and a high-end SUV; and 13 vehicles linked to various investigations.
“Over 260 files were generated across the cities that resulted in a number of arrests and potential criminal charges in relation to ongoing investigations,” the CFSEU-BC statement said. “The initiative also enabled the collection of key gang intelligence tied to multiple high-level crime groups and to several referrals to CFSEU-BC’s Gang Intervention and Exiting Team (GIET), both of which will likely produce future positive outcomes.”
