Vancouver police (VPD) say they seized 23 pounds of cannabis edibles, nine pounds of marijuana and more than $4,000 during a raid of an illegal open-air pot market in the city’s downtown core on Sunday.
Police are recommending 11 charges against four people who were arrested in the raids, dubbed “Project Apprentice,” and say they plan on arresting a fifth.
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One man, 42-year-old David Hill of Vancouver, has already been charged with two trafficking-related offences.
In addition to the pot products, police said Tuesday that they had also seized cocaine and weapons including bats and batons.
Deputy Chief Const. Howard Chow said police have been monitoring the growing cluster of vendors at Robson Square in recent months, and had observed that vendors were not asking for ID and were making marijuana available to teens.
He said vendors should not have been surprised when police moved in.
“The message to drug traffickers is that if you continue with this activity, expect more charges and arrests.”
But vendors appear to be taking the VPD’s warning with a grain of salt.
Booths were back in place at Robson Square by Monday morning, and on Tuesday, activists were out in full force, waving flags and singing protest songs.
Vendor Darren Tarry said he was prepared to be arrested, and that police are overreaching.
“We’re just simple farmers who want equal rights,” he said.
The crackdown comes amid mounting public pressure over the market, which at times has dominated the space between the Vancouver Art Gallery and Vancouver Law Courts, and which has appeared to operate with impunity.
On Friday, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson told Global News that he was expecting police action “very soon.”