Vancouver police have seized millions in drugs, guns and cash following a year-long investigation into an organized crime ring “fuelling the illicit drug market in the Downtown Eastside and beyond.”
In a statement Tuesday, Vancouver police said this was a sophisticated crime ring that officers have been following since November 2021.
“We are committed to rooting out organized and predatory criminals who manufacture and produce the harmful street drugs that kill vulnerable people in our communities,” Insp. Phil Heard, commanding officer of VPD’s Organized Crime Section said in a release. “This seizure has disrupted business for a criminal organization and made life a bit safer for people struggling with illicit substance use.”
The project, named Project Torque, was targeting a drug-trafficking operation that was believed to be manufacturing and distributing fentanyl pills disguised as generic Percocet, police said.
They knew some of the pills were sold in the Downtown Eastside, while others were sent out of province and exchanged for cash.
In October, investigators executed multiple search warrants, seizing 72 kilograms of the fake, fentanyl-laced pills, along with 16.5 kilograms of cocaine, 88 kilograms of cutting agents, methamphetamine, MDMA and benzodiazepine. If sold on the street, the drugs would have netted $3 million to fuel organized crime and violence in Metro Vancouver, police said.
Investigators also seized three handguns, ammunition, body armour, and $123,000 in cash, resulting in three arrests, police added.
“These are impressive results borne from the hard work and dedication of our specially-trained gangs and drugs experts, who spent months gathering evidence against these organized criminals,” Heard added. “This should serve as a reminder to other illicit drug producers – by the time you realize we’ve been watching you, you could already be in handcuffs.”
No charges have been laid at this time but police said investigators anticipate multiple charges stemming from this file.