File photo.
RCMP say a man with ties to local organized crime was arrested on the Veterans Memorial Parkway in Langford during a traffic stop on Oct. 26.
At around 9 p.m., officers from the Capital Region District Integrated Road Safety Unit (CRD IRSU) were doing a road check on the Veterans Memorial Parkway when of them stopped a pickup truck with expired out-of-province licence plates.
Police said the male driver, who was the lone occupant, could not produce a driver’s licence or proof of insurance.
While talking to the officer, the man left the pickup. The officer noticed a bulge in his waistband, which was a fully-loaded handgun.
The officer arrested the man without incident and searched him. A small quantity of illegal drugs was found, police said, and the handgun had been reported stolen.
According to police, the man has ties to local organized crimes and he was taken into custody. He is facing numerous charges in relation to the traffic stop, including possession of weapon for dangerous purpose, possession of prohibited firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of weapon obtained by crime and possession of cocaine.
“This is an example of the dangers our officers face any time they stop a vehicle, Staff Sgt. Ron Cronk, Commander of CRD IRSU, said in a statement.
“In this case, the officer controlled the situation, safely took the man into custody and got a loaded firearm off the streets and out of the hands of a criminal. We would also like to recognize the valuable assistance provided to this investigation by officers from West Shore Detachment, in another example of the seamless teamwork between CRD IRSU and the local detachments they serve.”
The man’s name has not been released by police. RCMP said they would not release any further information on the incident as the matter is before the courts.
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