Osoyoos incidents keep RCMP busy

PENTICTON – An illegal border crossing and two stolen vehicles kept Osoyoos RCMP busy overnight March 30 and throughout the following day in two separate incidents.

Police were alerted by the U.S. Border Patrol just before 10 p.m. Monday of three males illegally crossing the U.S. – Canada border near Highway 3 on Anarchist Mountain.

The males were picked up by a vehicle and taken towards Osoyoos, where police caught up to the suspect vehicle. Police arrested the driver after the three males fled on foot.

An extensive search of the area with extra policing resources from nearby detachments, including a police services dog, eventually yielded arrests of two males for entering Canada without reporting. Along with the men was a backpack containing three kilograms of cocaine. The third male has not yet been apprehended.

The three men arrested include a 35-year-old Osoyoos resident, a 31-year-old U.S. citizen and a 34-year-old Mexican citizen. The two non-Canadians have been turned over to Canada Border Services.

The incident involved a collaborative effort between the U.S. Border Patrol, Oliver-Osoyoos Search and Rescue, and RCMP Air Services.

The following day, at 11:50 a.m., police were alerted to a stolen 2014 Dodge Ram leaving Osoyoos on Highway 3 eastbound. A police helicopter and other RCMP personnel searching for articles related to the previous evening’s cross border smuggling diverted their attention to the stolen pick up.

The Dodge was met by yet another stolen pickup, a Ford F-350 and both turned off Highway 3 onto Mount Baldy Road travelling at high speed. The drivers eventually dumped both vehicles and disappeared into dense bush.

Once again, extensive police resources were used, including three police service dogs. A thorough ground and air search failed to find the two suspects, although both stolen vehicles, an ATV and other stolen items were recovered.

Members of the Osoyoos, Oliver, Keremeos, Boundary Regional, Penticton and Kelowna police participated in the search.

The RCMP have identified a male and female suspect believed responsible for these crimes and continue their investigation.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.