West Shore RCMP have arrested two men and seized more than $50,000-worth of cocaine and crack-cocaine in a months-long investigation into a drug-trafficking operation between the West Shore and Victoria.
For several months, West Shore RCMP Drug Unit had been monitoring two suspected drug dealers who live in Victoria and conducted criminal activity in the West Shore.
On Sept. 27, officers executed five simultaneous search warrants — three in residences and two in vehicles — in Victoria. They arrested two 37-year-old men on charges of drug trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking. West Shore RCMP seized more than 300 grams of cocaine and crack-cocaine, two vehicles, ammunition and an array of bladed weapons.
The West Shore RCMP Drug Unit partnered with its own Crime Reduction Unit, the Victoria Police Department Strike Force and VicPD’s Emergency Response Team.
The drug unit formed this year after a meeting between Insp. Todd Preston of West Shore RCMP and the mayors and councils of Langford, Colwood and View Royal. The unit focuses on drug trafficking and targets chronic offenders.
“As the community grows and evolves, so must the approach of policing,” Preston said. “The focus on drug enforcement in the West Shore will not only impact the drug trade but also impact related offences such as property crime, which is often driven by those who are looking to fuel their drug addiction.”
