Eight Courtenay residents have been charged with drug trafficking after a lengthy investigation by Comox Valley RCMP.
In February, RCMP started receiving increased reports about drug activity on the 600-block of Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay, the detachment said in a news release.
Investigators with the bike unit and street crimes unit collaborated to target drug traffickers in the city’s downtown. The operation resulted in eight arrests, with the majority of people charged with trafficking fentanyl and benzodiazepine.
The arrests show the detachment’s commitment to public safety and targeting those who exploit vulnerable populations, said Const. Monika Terragni, media relations officer for Comox Valley RCMP.
The investigation also supports the broader effort to curb staggering deaths related to unregulated drugs, Terragni said. Fentanyl was detected in 83 per cent of unregulated drug deaths reported by the B.C. Coroners Service in the first nine months of this year.
Eight people are facing trafficking charges: Aislynn Hessler, 24, Frank Poel, 66, David Nakashima, 28, Sterling Girard, 28, Andrew Labree, 36, Adam Wilkins, 37, Timothy Hyatt, 22, and Denyss Teagai, 31.
The Comox Valley RCMP encouraged residents to report all suspicious activity to the detachment by calling 250-338-1321
