Twelve charged after West Kootenay drug investigation

RCMP in the West Kootenay have charged six Trail residents with alleged cocaine trafficking after a three month investigation using police resources from throughout the province.

A total of 12 West Kootenay residents were charged with alleged drug trafficking in the investigation in Grand Forks, Castlegar and Kaslo.

Ten of the 12 were charged with trafficking cocaine and two with trafficking marijuana.

The investigation was led by the Kootenay Boundary Regional Detachment General Investigation Section and utilized ‘advanced investigation techniques’ to target traffickers.

“There are a certain number of distribution networks, cocaine is not native to our country so we know it’s all smuggled in,” said Inspector Nick Romanchuk of the Kootenay Boundary Regional Detachment RCMP.

“It wasn’t necessarily brought over the border in all cases in the Kootenay Boundary but there is a very good likelihood that was the case.”

All individuals appeared in Nelson provincial court on Oct. 30 and were released from custody to appear at a later date except one.

“Each and every one of the communities within the West Kootenay Boundary has identified the issue of drug trafficking and organized crime as one of their primary policing concerns,” the RCMP said in a statement.

“By proactively targeting this issue we believe that we are working towards meeting the expectations of our communities and taking significant steps forward in making those communities safer places for their citizens.”

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