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West Kelowna  

Drug ring shut down

A large drug ring, allegedly operating out of West Kelowna, has been shut down by RCMP.

Following what police call a "significant" two-month investigation, RCMP say they gained enough information on the West Kelowna operation to indicate it had been supplying drug dealers and drug houses, primarily in Kelowna.

On Nov. 30, police raided two homes on Smid Road and Old Ferry Wharf Road. Six men and one woman, believed to be linked to the ring, were arrested.

Police also made the following seizures:

  • 1.32 kilograms of suspected fentanyl-laced heroin; 2.1 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine; 10 ounces of suspected cocaine; and other additional suspected drugs
  • In excess of $100,000 in Canadian currency
  • Unrestricted firearms
  • Thousands of dollars in suspected stolen property.

"RCMP have gathered intelligence which suggests that a significant amount of the illicit drugs that were being sold on the downtown streets of Kelowna, were being supplied directly by the West Kelowna drug operation," said Sgt. Alex Lynch, head of the Kelowna RCMP Street Enforcement Unit.

"It was the dedicated work by many of our officers, who utilized a number of investigative techniques available to them to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion."

Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey says police believe the arrests will have a "notable effect" on the immediate availability of illicit drugs in the Central Okanagan.

"Police believe that this seizure represents at least 342,000 individual doses on the street."

Terry Weninger, 44, and Robert Colbon, 59, of West Kelowna, along with Darcy Lenko, 52, of Penticton, each appeared in court and have since been remanded into custody. Each has been formally charged with multiple counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Lance William Wust, 42, of Kelowna has been charged with possession of a controlled substance. He was later released by the courts on strict conditions.

The remaining individuals arrested, a 52-year-old West Kelowna man, a 22-year-old Vernon man and an 18-year-old Kelowna woman were released from police custody. Each face potential charges and are expected to appear in court at a later date.



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