Undercover investigation leads to 2 drug arrests on Vancouver Island

A sign for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in English and French along with the crest of the RCMP. (Shutterstock)

A months-long undercover investigation on northern Vancouver Island led to the arrests of two men on drug trafficking charges, RCMP said Monday.

The investigation took place in Port Hardy earlier this year and was a collaboration between undercover officers and "various law enforcement agencies."

The investigation focused on identifying and arresting drug traffickers in the Port Hardy area, police say.

After several months of investigating, 47-year-old Jason Dow and 40-year-old Jerry Coburn, both from Port Hardy, were arrested on March 23.

They have since been charged with various drug-related offences, such as possession and trafficking of a controlled substance, police said Monday.

"This operation is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our officers in identifying and addressing the issues that are affecting our community," said Port Hardy RCMP Const. Nico Dupuy.

"These drugs have had a catastrophic effect on communities across the province," he said. "They are ruining people’s health, breaking up families and having a detrimental effect on our younger population."

"We are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents and will continue to work tirelessly to combat drug trafficking in our town," said Dupuy.

The Port Hardy RCMP says it is "actively working" on addressing drug trafficking in the community and encourages residents to report suspicious activity to the detachment at 250-949-6335.