A dangerous offender was arrested after a proactive vehicle check in Nanaimo recently. 

The incident occurred at about 2 am on April 18, 2023, in the 4000 block of Departure Bay Road.

RCMP
 
Police said the vehicle involved, a white Toyota Tacoma, caught the attention of the officer involved when he noted that there was no front plate attached. 

A subsequent computer check from his police vehicle indicated that there was also no insurance on it.
 
Once stopped, the officer quickly identified the three occupants as being active in the local drug trade, police added. 

He also reportedly observed a large hunting knife and a collapsible baton inside the vehicle. With the assistance of other officers, a cursory search of the vehicle and its occupants was conducted.
 
The driver, age 38, was found to be in possession of a large quantity of unknown pills and several hundred dollars in Canadian currency and was arrested. 

Inside the vehicle, a large tool bag was located, and inside was an unloaded tactical semi-automatic pistol grip shotgun, face masks, zap straps, and other items commonly used in the commission of and to carry out violent crimes and “drug rips” (robbing a drug dealer). 

Another bag was also found that contained multiple cell phones, baseball bats and more suspected illegal pills.
 
The two passengers, a 27-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman, were arrested for possession for the purpose of trafficking and unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon. 

The 27-year-old man was also arrested on multiple outstanding warrants for the unauthorized possession of a firearm. The vehicle was then towed from the scene and the three people were later released on an undertaking with their first court date set for Sept. 5, 2023, in Nanaimo Provincial Court.
 
“In situations where a large quantity of unknown drugs, various prohibited weapons and multiple offenders are involved, it is not uncommon for officers to release the suspects on undertakings that compel them to appear in court at a later date,” explained R/Cst Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP. “This affords the investigators time to analyze the evidence, gather expert evidence, prepare their reports and then forward their findings to Crown for charge approval.”