Fentanyl trafficker operating out of DTES building housing low-income seniors, police say

A Vancouver Police officer's uniform is pictured in Vancouver, on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

A man has been arrested for allegedly trafficking fentanyl out of a building housing low-income seniors on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, according to authorities.

The Vancouver Police Department posted about the March 20 arrest on social media Monday, saying the investigation was the result of a crime crackdown in the area dubbed Task Force Barrage.

“Beat officers in the Downtown Eastside conducted a street-level investigation that led to the arrest of a 52-year-old man for trafficking fentanyl from his SRO,” the post on X said.

“This SRO houses 14 tenants, 13 of whom are seniors with no known criminality.”

A search of the suspect’s unit yielded more than 225 baggies of fentanyl, an unspecified amount of crack cocaine and more than $10,000 in cash.

Last week, the VPD held a news conference touting the success of the task force, showcasing the nearly 200 weapons seized and claiming that violent crime has declined during the first month of the task force’s work.