Victoria police say tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods and thousands of suspected opioid pills were seized from a storage locker in Sooke last month.
The bust was the culmination of a weeks-long investigation into drug trafficking in Greater Victoria, police say.
In late February, VicPD began investigating a man for suspected drug trafficking throughout the capital region.
Police say the suspect was seen visiting a storage locker in Sooke several times, so investigators obtained a search warrant for the locker.
Inside, officers found 4,054 suspected oxycodone pills, 554 grams of cocaine, and 136 grams of methamphetamine.
They also found $48,000 worth of stolen merchandise, including 10 vacuums, five Kitchen Aid mixers, Milwaukee-brand chainsaws, drills, a metal detector and other tools, as well as clothing and accessories.
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Some of the seized drugs are shown. (VicPD)
The man was arrested on March 14 and was later released until his next court date.
Police say the suspect had previously been arrested during a drug tracking investigation in December. At the time, more than three kilograms of drugs were seized, though police did not specify if the man was charged with anything.
The investigation into the December incident is ongoing and VicPD says no charges have been recommended yet.
“This is another example of the excellent investigative work done by our Strike Force unit,” says VicPD Chief Del Manak in a release Friday.
“The arrest sends a strong signal that we are focusing on those who are engaging in retail theft and illegal drug trafficking,” he said. “We know these crimes have an impact on our collective sense of security, and we will continue to dedicate resources towards proactive projects and investigations to combat it.”
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Adam Chan
