Kelowna man arrested in international trafficking ring

A Kelowna resident was among three people arrested after Canadian and Australian authorities seized 115 kilograms of methamphetamine in a major international drug trafficking investigation.

The RCMP Federal Policing Pacific Region, working with the Australian Federal Police and Canada Border Services Agency, intercepted the shipment in January at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility. The drugs were hidden in jars of pickles bound for Melbourne, Australia.

Two men were arrested in Australia on March 17, and authorities executed search warrants at homes in Sydney and Melbourne, seizing $400,000 in cash, luxury vehicles, silver bars, jewellery, electronic devices, and drug paraphernalia.

The Kelowna man, 46, was detained and later released pending further investigation and referred to the CBSA for immigration enforcement.

Searches were also carried out in Abbotsford and Lower Nicola, resulting in the seizure of multiple cellphones and electronic devices.

RCMP liaison officers in the Indo-Pacific region coordinated the complex international operation, ensuring intelligence was shared across jurisdictions.