Victoria police have arrested three people from Surrey, after drugs, cash and a loaded handgun were found hidden in a vehicle.
The arrests are part of the same investigation in which police seized a kilogram of highly concentrated fentanyl that could have produced an estimated 495,000 lethal doses.
Police made the latest seizure about 10:45 p.m. Friday when Strike Force officers, working with the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, stopped a vehicle at Belleville and Government streets.
Two men and a woman were arrested.
A search of the vehicle turned up drugs, including fentanyl and cocaine, and a substantial amount of cash. An officer with special training in finding hidden compartments helped locate one behind the radio and temperature controls on the vehicle’s centre console.
A loaded .45-calibre handgun was inside.
Police then executed search warrants at two suites at a hotel in the 700-block of Douglas Street and found evidence of a drug-trafficking operation. Fentanyl, cocaine and cash were found.
Overall, police found close to $60,000 in cash, and fentanyl and cocaine with an estimated street value of $50,000.
The ongoing police effort, targeting organized crime and drug trafficking, began in July and has also included an October arrest linked to the seizure of $5,000 in cash, along with fentanyl and cocaine. The drugs had an estimated street value of $55,000.
Charges are being recommended against six people so far as a result of the investigation.
The Strike Force relies on information from the public. If you have tips on drug trafficking or firearms, call 250-995-7260.