A house fire that yielded a large-scale drug manufacturing facility has successfully concluded with charges.
Shortly after 4:30 am on Monday, March 7, 2022, officers were called to the 1300 block of Crestwell Rd to assist West Vancouver Fire & Rescue who had discovered large-scale drug lab while working to contain the fire. Police obtained a search warrant, and 16 kilograms of MDMA with a street value of approximately $630,000 was seized.
A man was found at the residence and taken into custody by police. On March 2, 2023, after a lengthy investigation, Gerald Yaremchuk, of Mission, BC was charged with 11 offences including eight counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, two counts of unlawfully possessing precursor chemicals and equipment needed for drug production, and one count of production of a controlled substance.
“This was a yearlong investigation led by WVPD with the assistance of VPD and the RCMP. This investigation is a prime example of an effective multi-jurisdiction partnership. Our detectives worked tirelessly on this case and we commend them for a job well done” says Cst. Nicole Braithwaite. Forfeiture of the property, which has been assessed at over 4 million dollars, has been sought through the courts by BC Civil Forfeiture.
