Anti-Gang Police Seize Drugs and Weapons After Shifting Focus to Help Penticton Wildfire Evacuations

Wildfire Emergency Response

During a deployment for proactive enforcement alongside Penticton RCMP for the Peach Festival between Aug. 5 and Aug. 9, members of B.C.’s anti-gang unit assisted with emergency efforts as the Bald Range wildfire threatened Summerland and nearby areas. On Aug. 7, officers with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit redirected their efforts to conduct tactical evacuations, which included safely evacuating elderly residents from an independent living facility.

Enforcement and Seizures

While supporting the local detachment and working alongside the Penticton RCMP crime reduction unit, the anti-gang officers executed enforcement actions that led to significant seizures. Authorities confiscated four firearms along with 16 other weapons, including a baton, a conducted energy weapon, knives, a compound bow, and a crossbow. Police also seized approximately 2.5 kilograms of illicit substances—comprising fentanyl, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine—as well as one vehicle and around $100,000 in Canadian currency.