A BC Highway Patrol officer, in Smithers, seized a firearm and ammunition at a traffic stop on Feb. 25.
This is the third firearm seized by BCHP in the North this past month, RCMP said in a press release.
According to police, this latest stop happened shortly after 6 p.m. when an officer conducted a traffic stop with a pickup truck for speeding and obvious vehicle defects.
Cpl. Melissa Jongema, a BCHP media relations officer, said the officer noted drug paraphernalia in plain view in the vehicle and launched an investigation.
During the investigation, police seized 40 grams of drugs suspected to be fentanyl and cocaine, thousands of dollars in Canadian currency, a rifle and ammunition.
The driver and two passengers were quickly arrested for possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
Charges have not been formally approved yet by the Crown and police are not revealing details about the occupants of the vehicle at this time.
Jongema said the highway patrol doesn’t often get these kinds of stops so three in a month in the North District is very significant. She said the BCHP is proud of the work they are doing in helping to get drugs and guns off the streets.