POLICE – Routine traffic stop turns into arrest for drugs and guns

Two guns and about half a kilo of drugs were located during an investigation in Valleyview Sunday afternoon.

On Nov. 26, 2023, around 4:30 p.m., a Kamloops RCMP officer was patrolling the 1700-block of the East Trans Canada Highway when she observed a vehicle with a partially obstructed license plate.

The officer conducted a traffic stop under the Motor Vehicle Act, and quickly recognized the driver as a man known to police who had a history of firearms offences.

“Recognizing the risks associated to dealing with an offender known to have a violent history, the officer requested backup, then continued with the motor vehicle investigation,” said Supt. Jeff Pelley.

“The driver quickly became uncooperative, refused to exit the vehicle, and made multiple attempts to access his handbag – where a loaded firearm was later discovered.”

Multiple backup units arrived and the driver was removed following a struggle that continued even after he was out of the vehicle. Two passengers were arrested and a second loaded handgun was located in the backseat, next to where a passenger was sitting.

“This was a very high-risk situation that clearly illustrates the dangers our officers can be presented with every time they conduct a traffic stop, attend a request to check someone’s wellbeing, or respond to a suspicious circumstances report,” said Pelley.

“Thanks to the investigator’s quick risk assessment and the fast response of backup officers, this situation ended with the arrest of three people, the seizure of two firearms, the removal of approximately half a kilo of suspected fentanyl; and the safe return of the attending officers to their families.”

The vehicle’s driver, a Surrey man in his 20s, was held in police custody, then released. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

A male and female passenger who were also arrested at scene were later released without process, pending the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information or video that may be related to the situation is asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP Detachment at 250-828-3000 and reference file 2023-41982.