Firearms and bags of candy-coloured fentanyl worth thousands of dollars were on display Thursday as Maple Ridge RCMP announced the conclusion of a three-month investigation that led to drug charges against three individuals, including a Coquitlam man.
Maciej Kranc, 40, of Coquitlam, who was reportedly known to police, was arrested on Aug. 4 and faces eight charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance along with a charge of possession of a restricted firearm and possession of an unauthorized firearm. He’s being held in custody and appears in court Sept. 12.
Cash totalling $140,179, a .22-calibre Mossberg rifle and a .45-calibre Sig Sauer handgun, along with sealed packages of fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, as well as 1,000 pieces of stolen mail, were displayed at the detachment in downtown Maple Ridge.
Fentanyl was displayed in the largest quantity — 1.7 kg, enough for 17,000 doses.
According to media reports, Kranc was arrested during a traffic stop and the investigation led to a property in Coquitlam and a storage locker in the Ridge Meadows area. After officers executed a search warrant at the Coquitlam home, they found drugs, evidence of drug trafficking and a large sum of cash. At the storage locker, police seized more drugs, guns, stolen mail and more cash.
“These are dirty, disgusting drugs. And they’re dangerous and they’re harmful to our community,” said Maple Ridge RCMP Supt. Jennifer Hyland.
She added that there’s no such thing as recreational use. Kids, teens, regular working people and addicts have no idea how strong the drugs are, she added.
But anybody who’s selling this “type of garbage is prepared to sell your life away.”
The Ridge Meadows RCMP street enforcement unit ran the investigation, dubbed E-Paperwork, focusing on dealing fentanyl.
Also charged is Christine Nelson, 54, who faces three charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a restricted firearm and possession of an unauthorized firearm. She also appears in court Sept. 12.
Alicia Van Huisen, 30, faces three charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
As part of the investigation, police seized: a white 2017 Mercedes GT Coupe, valued at about $170,000; a red 2013 Mercedes SUV, valued at about $60,000; and a black 2010 Volkswagen Jetta, valued at $10,000.
The police press conference took place on Aug. 31, the same day government and social services agencies marked International Overdose Awareness Day and Fraser Health announced it had expanded access to treatment for opioid addiction.
New clinics are opening in Maple Ridge as well as Burnaby, Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Langley, and some hospital emergency rooms will be able to administer Suboxone and methadone to help people quit opioid addiction.
— With files from Diane Strandberg
