In December 2015, members of the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP, Saanich Police Department, and Central Saanich Police Service collaborated to investigate allegations of an illicit Clandestine Laboratory operating in North Saanich.
The investigation spanned the course of a year and involved residential search warrants executed in both Shawnigan Lake and Saanich. In May, 2016 a search warrant executed in the 4300 block of Torrington Place, Saanich, yielded a quantity of drugs and over $1.1 million in Canadian currency. In June, 2016 a search warrant executed in the 2300 block of Ravenhill Road, Shawnigan Lake, uncovered an operational clandestine laboratory, various quantities of precursor material for making anabolic steroids, large quantities of the finished products, GHB, lab equipment, and pills presses. In August 2016 a third search warrant executed in the 4300 block of Torrington Place, Saanich, resulted in the seizure of two kilograms of cocaine.
48 year old Saanich resident, Alexander Djafar-Zade, was arrested and has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking x 3, and Possession of Proceeds of Crime. 26 year old Meagan Blake and 26 year old Christopher Hyland, both from Shawnigan Lake have been charged with 9 counts of Production of a Controlled Substance, 13 counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, and 1 count of transporting a Class A precursor. 26 year old Saanich resident James Thomas Rempel has been charged with 1 count of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking and 1 count of transporting a Class A precursor.
“The seizure of these drugs, and proceeds of crime, has put a sizable dent in the drug trafficking that’s occurring in the lower Island area” said Sidney/North Saanich RCMP Detachment Commander A/S/Sgt. Wayne Conley. “Crime has no borders and this is an excellent example of our various Police agencies working exceptionally well together to ensure our communities remain safe.”
All of the accused individuals will be appearing in Victoria Provincial Court on Tuesday February 7, 2017.
Cpl. Haydn Barrow
Sidney/North Saanich RCMP-GRC
General Investigation Section