Speeding while transporting cocaine nets man in Keremeos
On Nov. 3 an RCMP Southeast District Traffic Services unit stopped a vehicle for speeding on Hwy 3 in Keremeos — 187 kilometres west of Nelson.
The stop yielded a sizable bust thanks to the keen sense of the office and keener sense of smell of his partner RCMPolice dog Otis.
During the course of the vehicle stop at around 3 pm on Thursday, Cpl Ryan McLeod made several observations which subsequently led to the arrest of the vehicle occupants for drug possession.
The driver was found to possess cocaine on his person and a sealed kilogram brick of cocaine was then found within the vehicle by Otis the chocolate Labrador, during a search of the vehicle (value of approx $40,000).
“Any time we can take a kilo of cocaine out of circulation, it’s a substantial disruption to someone’s illicit operations. Having one of our Traffic Services Units intercepting it while in transit before it is distributed at street level in our communities, makes it an even bigger disruption that assists in keeping several communities safer and healthier” said Cpl Dan Moskaluk.
The vehicle, a 2006 Mazda, was also seized and will be sought to be forfeited as offence related property under provisions of the Criminal Code. A 46-year-old male from Burnaby faces charges of cocaine possession for the purpose of trafficking.
