VANCOUVER — Police in Metro Vancouver say they've seized guns, drugs and explosive devices in an effort aimed at fighting ongoing gang violence in the area.
Members of the Vancouver Police Department and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit say they made the seizure after being alerted to a farmhouse in Langley that they say was used by gang members in the Lower Mainland.
Police searched the home three weeks ago and found a cache of items, including two improvised explosive devices, nine handguns, 600 rounds of ammunition, bulletproof vests and 500 marijuana plants.
Assistant commissioner Ken Hackett of the enforcement unit says violent gang members routinely cross municipal boundaries and if police are to remain effective, they must co-ordinate their approach in the region.
He says the investigation is a good example of his unit's ability to respond to the needs of partner agencies right across the province.
There have been dozens of shootings in the Lower Mainland this year, many of them in the Surrey area.
The seizure is part of a combined police effort to target ongoing gang violence in Greater Vancouver, dubbed Project Treachery.
During the course of this investigation, gang crime investigators learned that a farmhouse located at 4096-240th Street in Langley was being used by Lower Mainland gang members. Subsequently, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2017, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered the following items:
Two Improvised Explosive Devices – Detonated On Scene By Police
Nine Handguns
Three Assault Rifles
Seven Stolen Vehicles
More Than 600 Rounds Of Ammunition
More Than 500 Marijuana Plants
Bulletproof Vests
VPD and CFSEU-BC were assisted in executing warrants by the Surrey RCMP, Langley RCMP, and the Abbotsford PD.
“Violent gang members routinely cross jurisdictional boundaries and can impact several communities at once. In order to remain effective we must continue to work in a coordinated, collaborative, and regional approach,” says Assistant Commissioner Kevin Hackett, Chief Officer of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia. “This investigation is a good example of the CFSEU-BC’s ability to respond to the needs of our partner agencies across the province, and work with them in the interest of public safety.”
The investigation remains active and criminal charges are expected. The VPD and CFSEU-BC are requesting that anyone who has information on this farm, to please contact VPD Organized Crime investigators at 604-717-0505 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
