Port Hardy RCMP officers have arrested two people during a drug trafficking investigation, where 1.3 kilograms of drugs were seized.
On June 20, officers arrested two people in a vehicles near Granville Street and Highway 19. Evidence in the vehicle resulted in officers conducting a search warrant on a house in the 4000 block of Byng Road.
At that house, 1.3 kilograms of drugs and over $20,000 in cash were seized.
Port Hardy RCMP says this is still under investigation and a report is being prepared to submit to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to request approval of charges.
The Port Hardy RCMP detachment remains focused on targeting and disrupting illicit drug trafficking in our community
stated acting Detachment Commander, Sergeant Trevor Busch.
Anyone with information about drug trafficking is urged to contact their local police department.
These arrests come months after Gwa’Sala-Nakwaxda’xw First Nations declared a state of emergency due to the high number of deaths of young people in the region.
On March 1, the Nations said 11 people had died in the first two months of the year, many of them related to drugs or alcohol. The Gwa’Sala-Nakwaxda’xw First Nations have a population of around 600 people.
READ PREVIOUS: North Island First Nations declare state of emergency after 11 deaths in 2 months
As part of the declaration, the Nations called on the RCMP to do more to address drugs in the community.
“The RCMP have been reluctant to work with GNN in enforcing GNN bylaws and council resolutions to restrict or remove drug dealers to try and prevent dealers from bringing deadly drugs into the community,” the emergency declaration released on March 1 said.
At the time, RCMP told CHEK News it is committed to addressing the issue.
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Since then, these two are now the ninth and 10th arrests related to drug trafficking in the area.
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Laura Brougham
