A 69-year-old Creston man and a 37-year-old woman from Saskatchewan have been arrested after Creston RCMP executed a search warrant at a home in the 200 block of 16th Avenue North.
Police say they arrived at about 11 a.m. today and made the arrests without incident, although the street was closed as a safety precaution and a heavy police presence would have been noticed in the area.
Staff Sgt. Brandon Buliziuk said officers recently noticed drug trafficking in the area, including close to Creston Valley Hospital and Kootenay River Secondary, often near gatherings of youth, so police made the matter a priority.
Buliziuk said after gathering evidence, police obtained a search warrant and developed a plan to keep the area safe while it was carried out.
He said the man who was taken into custody has previously been arrested for drug trafficking and the woman also has a criminal history. Both have been released pending future court appearances.
Police seized drugs, cash, and evidence of trafficking. Staff from the Town of Creston also came to address health and safety issues with the home, which has been boarded up with co-operation of the property owner.
“I remain impressed and very proud of the commitment shown by my officers within the Creston Valley,” Buliziuk said in a news release. “Their keen observations and passion toward disrupting the efforts of drug traffickers in the area is admirable.”
Buliziuk said these times of investigations demand flexibility outside officers’ regular shifts, especially in a smaller detachment, and often pulls them away from family for prolonged stretches.
“For their efforts, and the support of their loved ones, I am very grateful,” he said. “The direct result of these efforts over the past 36 months has led to one of the most significant reductions in Creston’s crime severity index in relation to the rest of the province.”
He also thanked the community at large for their support and said RCMP appreciate the public’s willingness to speak out against drug trafficking.
