Chase RCMP Sergeant says 'high risk' police operation part of firearms investigation

Explosives found in search

Photo: Castanet File Photo

Kamloops Mounties found explosives while searching for guns in Chase.

The Chase RCMP detachment commander told council that police found explosives while executing a high risk search warrant on behalf of Kamloops RCMP's targeted enforcement unit on Tuesday morning.

At the April 22 Chase village council meeting, Sgt. Stephen Newport, commander of the Chase RCMP unit, gave elected officials more information about a search warrant involving the emergency response team in Chase.

Police issued a statement Tuesday morning warning residents they had deployed a chemical agent with a distinctive odour.

“Kamloops city detachment’s targeted enforcement unit started an investigation earlier in the year that culminated in a target that was here in Chase,” Newport said.

“They executed a search warrant this morning for firearms here in town, and the emergency response team, their unit from southeast district, came to assist with that.”

He said it was a high-risk operation related to firearms offences, and he was happy to have the assistance of ERT to ensure the safety of officers and the community.

Once officers went into the residence, Newport said they found objects they suspected to be explosives so the explosive disposal unit was called from the Lower Mainland.

He said once the suspected explosives were dealt with, police would go back into the residence to continue searching.

“I can't get tuned to too many specifics on the actual investigation itself, as it is still an active investigation, but charges are certainly going to be coming out of that one,” he said.

Newport was attending the council meeting to provide an annual report on police statistics and local criminal activity, as well as to introduce himself as the new head of the Chase RCMP detachment.

He took over as detachment commander in January of this year.