A 25-year-old Surrey man was arrested after Vancouver police had to detonate a suspected explosive in the Downtown Eastside on Tuesday (April 28).
Police detonated the “improvised explosive device” near Columbia and East Pender streets, according to a release from the Vancouver Police Department Wednesday.
Officers spotted “what appeared to be fentanyl in plain view inside a car” during a traffic stop, police said. But while searching the vehicle, officers found the suspected explosive.
VPD said that specialists with the department’s Emergency Response Section were called and “worked to safely dispose of the improvised explosive device.”
“This was excellent work by our frontline patrol officers to identify a dangerous situation and safely secure the area,” said Sergeant Aaron Roed. “Their actions, along with the response from our highly-trained Emergency Response Section members, ensured no one was injured and the device was destroyed.”
The release states officers blocked off the area from the public and then “used various tools, including a specialized robot to properly disable and dispose of the device.”
Roed said the call took “several hours” from start to finish.
The Surrey man, who was arrested for unauthorized possession of an explosive device, has since been released with no charges at this time.
The investigation is ongoing, VPD said.
lauren.collins@surreynowleader.comLike us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram and follow Lauren on Twitter
