Police say nine men from the Vernon area are facing charges of drug trafficking following an undercover operation that took place earlier this year.
According to Vernon North Okanagan RCMP, the undercover operation took place during spring, with three men being arrested in July. At the time, those three were facing seven counts of trafficking fentanyl and a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.
On Thursday, police announced that another six arrests were made, with an additional nine counts of drug trafficking. Another person, Johanna Pauliuk, 43, is wanted for two counts of drug trafficking.
“This project was very successful in that it targeted street-level drug trafficking. We specifically targeted the sale of fentanyl, which is causing a significant public safety risk,” said Sgt. David Evans of the RCMP’s Targeted Policing Unit. “All the drugs purchased by the undercover operators were fentanyl or fentanyl mixed with heroin.”
The first three men arrested were a 35-year-old on July 11th, a 34-year-old on July 13th and a 38-year-old on July 17th.