Fort St. John RCMP arrests eight after drug trafficking investigation

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A drug trafficking investigation from the Fort St. John RCMP has resulted in the arrests of eight people.

According to a press release on January 26th, the Fort St. John RCMP Street Enforcement Team executed seven search warrants on Friday, January 23rd – five in Fort St. John, one in Charlie Lake and one in Cecil Lake. 

The warrants were carried out as part of an investigation into alleged drug trafficking and organized crime.

During the searches, officers say they seized over 55 firearms – including handguns and several suppressors – along with more than two kilograms of suspected cocaine.

In addition to the Fort St. John detachment, the operation involved extensive support from multiple police units. 

These included serious crime and frontline members, BC Highway Patrol, Dawson Creek RCMP, Grande Prairie RCMP in Alberta, the Cariboo-Chilcotin Crime Reduction Unit, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), police dog services and the Organized Crime Agency of B.C. (OCABC).

The RCMP said the investigation was driven by continued enforcement efforts targeting alleged organized crime in the region, and was made more urgent following an increase in gun violence in Fort St. John during October and November 2025.

A total of eight people, all from the Fort St. John area, were arrested across the seven locations.

“The operation took a large quantity of illicit drugs off the street and kept a large amount of illegally possessed firearms out of the hands of the criminals,” said Sergeant Ian Rissanen, the plain clothes unit commander with the Fort St. John RCMP. 

Rissanen added the Fort St. John RCMP will continue to ensure public safety.

The detachment said the eight individuals arrested were later released from custody pending charges being approved.