Crown counsel has approved charges against two people in a drug-related kidnapping in the Cowichan Valley in March.
Staff Sgt. Steven Perret, from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, told North Cowichan council at its meeting on July 16 as part of the detachment’s quarterly report that the incident involved an allegation that a member of the community owed another person “drug money”.
He said that using electronic triangulation and emergency communications warrants, the RCMP were able to learn the time and date of the “meet” to exchange ransom money and the kidnapping victim.
“Detachment members surveilled the location and when the exchange took place, [RCMP officers] quickly arrested the main suspect and accomplices,” Perret said. “The investigators are completing the disclosure stage and the suspect remains in custody.”
North Cowichan Coun. Christopher Justice complimented the RCMP for discovering the time and place of the meeting to exchange the victim and the drug money.
“This seems like a pretty serious crime, but also some top-notch police work,” he said. “I’m curious about what’s happened to the perpetrators subsequent to arrest. Do you know if they’ve been effectively removed from our streets or are they back out there continuing to victimize others?”
Perret said two people were arrested and Crown counsel has approved charges.
“I believe one of them was detained in custody and the other is out on bail, and that’s largely due to either their histories or perhaps their role in the kidnapping,” he said.
“From that, we did execute a search warrant and we seized a number of other drugs as well, so our plainclothes members have been working really hard to process all that to garner further evidence for court.”
