Cash and Drugs Seized

 $100,000 Cash & 2.5 kgs Cocaine Seized

An astute drug officer and a speeding vehicle resulted in the arrest of two males ,the seizure of almost $100,000 cash and the discovery of 2.5 kgs of cocaine.

The investigation began early on Friday morning when local drug officers observed a vehicle driving erratically while going northbound along Highway 19a. The vehicle in question, a newer model black Audi, was then stopped near the Fifth St exit. The driver, a 27 year old male from Victoria, was questioned about his driving habits and the need to be weaving from lane to lane. His answers and subsequent actions soon set off alarm bells in the heads of these officers trained in discovering illegal drugs.

The officers continued with their investigation which subsequently led to the discovery and seizure of $39,000 dollars in Canadian currency from the trunk of the vehicle. The male was then arrested and transported to the Nanaimo Detachment. Officers were then able to connect the money to a local man. Two hours later a meeting was covertly set up at an undisclosed location and resulted in the arrest of a 24 year old Nanaimo man; he and his vehicle were searched and two kilograms of cocaine were seized.

Based on the evidence at hand, officers applied for and were granted a search warrant on a north end home. At 9:30 PM officers carried out the search warrant and located another $60,000 dollars in Canadian currency and .5 kgs of cocaine. The home was occupied by the parents of the Nanaimo man who officers believe were not aware of their son’s activities.

Early Saturday morning both males were released from custody. The 27 year old Victoria man was served with a Promise to Appear(PTA) on charges of Laundering Proceeds of Crime while the 24 year old male’s PTA was for Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking under the CDSA and Laundering Proceeds of Crime. Each male is expected to make their first appearance in January of 2011.

“ This file is the direct result of local drug officers being keenly aware that people involved in the drug trade need to move their product up and down island and that our highways are the route most often used,”said Constable Gary O’Brien, media spokesperson for the Nanaimo RCMP.