An Esquimalt woman is in custody after thousands of dollars worth of property was seized by the Victoria Police in one of the largest property seizures in their history.
The department’s Crime Reduction Unit began investigating the woman in August.
It took two months, but investigators with the unit finally executed a search warrant in the 600-block of Admirals Road and confiscated thousands of items believed to be obtained through shoplifting, theft from vehicles and break-and-enters.
The items included four guns, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl pills and more than $17,000 in cash. The drugs alone have a combined value was approximately $53,000.
Investigators say stolen property was not only located inside the home, but also in a shipping container, multiple storage lockers and within three vehicles.
Police say there are other storage lockers, which investigators are following up on.
Investigators also located a secret room inside the home, which was accessed through a hidden panel in the back of a bedroom closet.
Fifty-two-year-old Lorraine Anderson has been arrested and is facing multiple charges of unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime.