Vancouver police have seized more than $2 million in drugs and cash destined for the Downtown Eastside.
“This single investigation represents more than 190,000 single doses of illicit drugs taken off the streets, and more than $2 million in profit out of the hands of drug dealers in the Downtown Eastside,” Insp. Gary Hiar, commanding officer of Task Force Barrage, announced Thursday.
“That’s potentially thousands of overdoses prevented, and thousands of lives saved.”
VPD created Task Force Barrage in February to reduce violence in the Downtown Eastside and disrupt criminal networks.
It was in April that the task force began a probe into a group of drug dealers believed to be trafficking illicit substances out of a building near East Hastings Street and Gore Avenue.
On July 17, Task Force Barrage executed a search warrant at 339 East Hastings St. and seized the drugs and cash, along with multiple weapons.
Nineteen people were arrested when the search warrant was executed.
“They have been released pending completion of the investigation, when police expect criminal charges will be laid,” the VPD said.
Police said the seizure included:
• $141,000 in Canadian and U.S. currency
• 5.5 kilograms of cocaine, including nearly four kilograms that was raw and uncut;
• 5.3 kilograms of crystal meth;
• 3.2 kilograms of raw and processed fentanyl; and,
• 1,594 pills, including methadone and Dilaudid.
During the first five months of Task Force Barrage, Vancouver police seized 1,145 weapons, recovered 127 real and imitation guns, submitted 492 reports to Crown counsel, and made 740 warrant arrests in the Downtown Eastside.
