The Abbotsford Police Department busted a trio of suspected gang members with more than three kilograms of cocaine on Wednesday night.
At 8:10 p.m. the APD's Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) executed a search warrant at a residence in the 2200 block of Bakerview Street. DEU was assisted by Municipal Integrated Emergency Response Team who were deployed in the Armoured Rescue Vehicle.
"We had intel that there was going to a large quantity of drugs at that location, so we brought in the cavalry," said APD spokesman Const. Ian MacDonald, adding police expected there would be guns to protect the drugs.
Patrol and traffic section officers also assisted the bust.
Seized from the residence was the cocaine, a small amount of heroin, a replica handgun and over $2,600 cash. Sold in kilogram packages the cocaine would be worth approximately $40,000 per kg, but could have a street value of up to double that, said MacDonald.
Three men, 19, 21 and 27 years of age, were taken into custody inside the residence and police will be recommending charges of possession for the purposes of trafficking against each of them. Two of the men have had extensive involvement with police.
Although he declined to say which criminal organization the men belong to, MacDonald said police believe there is gang involvement.
"You would not be seeing kilo-level amounts of coke without gang connections," he said.