Five charged in lengthy Kamloops drug trade investigation

Five people are facing more than 40 criminal charges as a Kamloops RCMP investigation that began nearly two years ago comes to a close.

The lengthy investigation into the local drug trade included multiple search warrants over several months.

“This enforcement operation represents a substantial disruption to entrenched drug trafficking networks operating in Kamloops,” detachment Supt. Jeff Pelley said in a news release.

The local gang squad’s investigation started in September 2023, targeting a network of drug sales between local motels and homes. At least two homes were searched over the course of months, along with Scott’s Inn downtown.

Of the five people facing a combined 45 criminal charges, one has 13 counts and against him and two women have 12 each. They include a range of drug, firearm and identity-related charges, according to Kamloops RCMP.

Sgt. Kevin McIntyre, head of the Target Enforcement Unit, said the team “acted decisively and safely to dismantle key trafficking operations.”

“We remain focused on the individuals who pose the greatest threat to public safety and continue to monitor for fallout following this enforcement action and subsequent charges,” he said in the news release.

The investigation and some of the search warrants coincided with a rise in gang-related violence in the spring of 2024. It’s not clear whether that violence was spurred or connected with police disrupting the local drug trade, but it continued publicly into the summer with multiple arsons and shootings, along with a public warning about two men on opposing sides of the violence.

“The seizure of illegal firearms and disruption of drug trafficking activity directly impacts the safety of our streets and the well-being of our residents. This operation has focused on individuals who were contributing to violence and drug trafficking within our community,” Pelley said.

Eight firearms, five kilograms of various drugs and $60,000 were among the items seized in the investigation, RCMP said.

The five people charged include Justin Robert Ferrier, Kristy Elizabeth Johnson, Ashley Rose Robinson, Justin Anthony Coughlan St. Arnault and Yasmine Alyssia Parra.