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An RCMP detachment in the Lower Mainland is celebrating its largest ever drugs bust.
Ridge Meadows RCMP spent five months investigating the illegal drugs trade – with particular attention paid to “blue fentanyl,” which has been linked to many overdose deaths.
On July 15, they arrested a 34-year-old man from Maple Ridge and seized tens of thousands of doses of fentanyl, meth, cocaine and ketamine.
They also found over $100,000 in cash and a series of weapons, including:
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A Cz-75 Shadow 9mm semi-automatic pistol
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A GSG MP-40 9mm fully automatic sub-machine gun with the barrel sawn off
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A makeshift silencer
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Several boxes of ammunition, gun parts, broken-down firearm receiver
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Hard body armour
The total drugs haul was:
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Suspected Fentanyl - 3.512 kg (approximately 35,280 street doses)
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Suspected Meth - 2.208 Kg (approximately 20,207 street doses)
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Suspected Coke/Crack - 659.13 grams (approximately 4,921 street doses)
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Suspected Ketamine - 1.64 Kg (approximately 11,000 street doses)
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Suspected Codeine/Morphine Pills - 844 pills
Christopher Leigh Harmes has been charged with:
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Four counts of possession of a firearm without licence and/or registration
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Two counts of careless use, carrying, handling, shipping, transport or storage of a firearm
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Two counts of possessing firearm, crossbow, prohibited weapon, prohibited device, ammunition or explosive contrary to order
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One count of possessing a loaded/unloaded prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition
"To put this in perspective to the sheer volume of drugs that were seized, this is the equivalent of one potentially lethal dose per person for an entire Vancouver Canucks sold out home game crowd… four times over," said Insp, Aaron Paradis.
"No community should have this amount of drugs on their streets."
Ridge Meadows RCMP said it is forwarding 11 further drug-related charges connected to the investigation.
Mr. Harmes has been previously convicted for drug trafficking offences – in 2010, 2012 and 2015.
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