They came for the guns, but stayed for the cocaine and ecstacy.
The Saanich police street crime unit, aided by the Capital Region emergency response team, raided a house on Tuesday in a leafy Tattersall Drive neighbourhood on a warrant looking for illegal guns.
Police found what they were looking for: a long-barreled shotgun and two revolvers. At the same time, investigators found several ounces of cocaine, ecstasy and a small 30- to 40- plant marijuana grow-op.
Sgt. Dean Jantzen said street crime officers are tracing the history of the weapons, but investigators suspect they were illegally obtained and used hand in hand with drug trafficking.
“This is an excellent example of the two going together: weapons and the drug trade for obvious reasons that it’s a dangerous trade,” Jantzen said outside of the house at the corner of Tattersall Drive and Kathleen Street. “You see it time and time again, but fortunately for our community it’s not as routine to see firearms.”
Two people, a male and a female, came out of the house voluntarily when police arrived at 3 p.m. and were taken into custody.
A 30-year-old Saanich man was arrested at a Victoria construction site in connection to the warrant. Jantzen said the man is known to police across Greater Victoria.
“Anytime you take illicit firearms off the street it’s a good day,” Jantzen said.
“Unlawful possession of firearms is a big concern. It’s a danger to officers and the (emergency response team), but then you also have a nice neighbourhood here in the community.”
Mark William Guy, 30, appeared in court on Aug. 1 and is charged with possession of cocaine and ecstasy for trafficking, possession of marijuana, and possessing a .357 Magnum revolver, a .38 Special revolver and a Remington 879 shotgun without permits.
Guy remains in custody and is due in court Aug. 8.
A 28-year-old man and 27-year-old woman also face charges from the July 31 raid.
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