Car with wrong licence plates leads to discovery of 'significant' drug trafficking operation in Saanich
Police say a vehicle that was displaying the wrong licence plates led to the discovery of a "significant drug trafficking operation" in Saanich.
West Shore RCMP says officers were in the Malahat area on June 14 when they spotted a vehicle heading northbound on the highway. Police ran the licence plate numbers and found that the plates were registered to a different car.
Mounties followed the car until it stopped at an empty parking lot near Duncan, at which point police went to speak with the driver.
As the officers approached, police say the vehicle "immediately accelerated" and drove towards the officers, ultimately ramming the front of one police vehicle and sideswiping another.
The vehicle drove away from the scene and police did not pursue it in the interest of public safety.
Shawnigan Lake RCMP officers located the car later that day and arrested two people without incident, according to police.
Inside the vehicle, investigators say they found a loaded Beretta handgun that was reported stolen from Nanaimo in August 2020, over three ounces of suspected fentanyl, smaller amounts of suspected cocaine and meth, more than $15,000 in cash, "numerous" collapsible batons and multiple cans of bear spray.
A search warrant was then executed at a residence in Saanich, involving officers from the West Shore RCMP, Saanich police and Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team.
At the property, police say they found signs of a significant drug trafficking operation, including a large quantity of GHB, a sedative sometimes referred to as the date-rape drug, as well as ammunition and a replica handgun.
"This is one example of the ongoing proactive work being done by our officers and the risks they face daily," said West Shore RCMP Supt. Todd Preston.
"Through hard work and teamwork, we have disrupted a substantial drug trafficking operation and removed multiple weapons from the community," he said.
Brandon Seguin, 26, is now facing several recommended charges related to drug trafficking. The charges include possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a prohibited firearm, flight from a peace officer and dangerous operation of a vehicle.
A 38-year-old Saanich woman who was a passenger of the vehicle at the time is also facing recommended charges of possession of a controlled substance. RCMP say both individuals are known to police.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.