A Cowichan Valley man was arrested on Thanksgiving Monday in one of the largest fentanyl busts for the B.C. RCMP in recent years.
The seizure took place around 5 p.m. on Oct. 10 when officers from the Nanaimo RCMP stopped a suspicious vehicle southbound on the Island Highway near the Nanaimo Airport. The male driver, a resident of Duncan, was arrested without incident, and a search of the vehicle uncovered a kilogram of a powdered substance, later determined to be fentanyl, and an unspecified amount of cash.
“This makes the seizure one of the largest for the RCMP in British Columbia over the past few years,” said Vancouver Island District spokesperson Cpl. Tammy Douglas.
Fentanyl has been a focal point for the B.C. RCMP in recent weeks.
“Locating and reducing the importation and distribution of fentanyl continues to be a priority for the RCMP, especially given the number of opioid deaths in British Columbia,” Douglas said. “Our investigation is continuing to look for all those connected and responsible in the alleged trafficking of a harmful illicit substance in addition to determining the ultimate destination for the drug.”
The investigation remains active and is being handled by the Federal Serious and Organized Crime Group on Vancouver Island. Charges are pending for the man who was arrested.
Anyone with information should contact their local RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).