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UPDATE: 4:44 p.m.
Police raids Tuesday at two grey-market cannabis shops and a home on the Tk’emlúps reserve were connected to an investigation into illegal cannabis and cigarettes, Mounties say.
RCMP Cpl. Crystal Evelyn said multiple bags of seized evidence were loaded into police vehicles Tuesday during the execution of three search warrants that are all part of the same joint investigation into the sale of contraband tobacco.
At about 9 a.m. on Tuesday, B.C. Ministry of Finance investigators joined Kamloops RCMP officers, the targeted enforcement unit, and the crime reduction unit executing three search warrants, one at a home at 635 Shuswap Rd. and two others at cannabis businesses — Boomers Buds on Chief Louis Way and Five Star Smoke Shop on Ricardo Road.
“A substantial amount of contraband cannabis and tobacco products, as well as cash, was seized,” Evelyn said.
All three locations are connected to the same investigation and initiated by the Kamloops RCMP. It involved the targeted enforcement unit due to the potential ties contraband tobacco can often have to organized crime, Evelyn said.
“It’s still early in this investigation and we’re not saying there is necessarily a specific link to this ongoing investigation, but it is something we are mindful of and proactive towards in our endeavour to enforce and suppress criminal activity in our communities,” Kamloops RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said in a news release.
Evelyn said all three search warrants were executed without issue. One person was arrested then released without process as part of the ongoing investigation.
“The Kamloops RCMP detachment is reminding residents that the possession of contraband tobacco and cannabis products is an offence under the Excise Act,” Evelyn said in the release.
“It also contributes to the growth of transnational organized crime and undermines public health objectives.”
ORIGINAL: 4:00 a.m.
Police say raids at three locations Tuesday on Tk’emlúps land, including two grey-market cannabis shops, are all related to one investigation.
Mounties executed three search warrants on Tuesday morning, one at a home at 635 Shuswap Rd. and two others at cannabis businesses — Boomers Buds on Chief Louis Way and Five Star Smoke Shop on Ricardo Road.
Castanet reached out to Five Star Smoke Shop for comment, but the person on the other end of the line said they would have no comment without speaking to their lawyer first. No one picked up at Boomers Buds.
RCMP Cpl. Crystal Evelyn said police expect to have more to say about the investigation later in the day on Thursday.
None of the other cannabis shops on the reserve contacted by Castanet on Tuesday knew about the raids. Many did not wish to provide comment.
One store owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said only that his business is in compliance with the rules set out by the Tk’emlúps band.
Happy to see crackdown
The manager of Shades of Green, a cannabis shop operating under provincial regulations in downtown Kamloops, said they are glad to see enforcement taking place at grey market stores.
“I’m really happy to hear, I’m not going to lie, at the risk of sounding negative,” Julie Dawood told Castanet.
“It’s just sad they [customers] can go over there and buy products that are not run through Health Canada, there’s no health checks, and of course of all of ours is. That’s always been super frustrating about the grey markets.”
She said it’s unfortunate to hear the stores are being raided, but she pointed out her store must adhere to strict regulations, and sometimes they hear from customers looking for products they are not allowed to sell because of something they bought at a grey market shop.
Shades of Green owner Carol Schweitzer said cannabis is still a drug and sellers should be mindful of what they’re selling and the provincial rules.
“It’s confusing for the customer — customers don’t know the difference,” she said.
Kamloops RCMP have said the raid was part of a joint investigation conducted “in partnership with other agencies.”
Band has rules
Castanet reached out to Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc band for comment about the operation on both Tuesday and Wednesday and is awaiting a reply.
Both cannabis stores that were targeted operate in a legal grey area, as do many on Tk’emlúps land and other First Nations reserves. Such Indigenous pot shops don’t follow provincial rules like those in Kamloops do, but the local band does have a bylaw for cannabis dispensary operations.
In that bylaw, the band states dispensaries must not sell cannabis or other substances under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in edible or beverage form, or to anyone younger than 19.
It also says the provisions of the bylaw do not apply to production and distribution of Cannabis licensed by Health Canada under the Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations or the Cannabis Medical Access Regulations of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
A licensed dispensary under the bylaw does not create an exception, defence or immunity to any person in regard to potential criminal liability the person may have for the production, distribution or possession of cannabis, the bylaw reads.
”}]] Police were out en force at two grey-market cannabis shops operating on Tk’emlúps land Tuesday in an apparent crackdown. Read More
