A Nanaimo man faces six charges after a traffic stop in the Cowichan Valley on May 29 in which a variety of weapons, including a firearm, and drugs were seized.
At about 4:15 p.m. that day, officers from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment were on Mt. Prevost Road, near Duncan, attempting to find a suspicious vehicle reported in the area.
During a traffic stop with a vehicle matching the description provided by witnesses, police arrested the driver as he was found to be prohibited from driving.
In the course of the investigation, police had legal grounds to search the vehicle to ensure public safety and the investigating officer found brass knuckles, a firearm, and a variety of illicit drugs.
Items were seized for evidence and to be safely removed from the streets.
Justin Donovan of Nanaimo is facing numerous charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle and carrying a concealed weapon under the Criminal Code, and possession of a scheduled substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The file is still under investigation and it is possible that more charges will be considered as police gather more evidence to present to the courts.
Police said they appreciate assistance from the witnesses in the area and from North Cowichan bylaw officers.
“This traffic stop by frontline officers meant that we were able to remove these items from the community,” said RCMP Corp. Gregg Strom.
“When it comes to safety, it is always better to prevent dangerous things from happening instead of dealing with the consequences afterwards.”
Anyone with information about this incident or who has future safety concerns is asked to call North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
To make an anonymous report, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.cowichancrimestoppers.com