A 26-year-old man is in police custody on firearms and drug charges after Nanaimo RCMP carried out a search of his Somerset Drive home in north Nanaimo early Wednesday morning.
Because weapons were anticipated in the house, police employed the use of the RCMP Emergency Response Team to arrest Alex William Laurie, 26.
The investigation leading to the arrest, led by the Nanaimo Municipal Drug Unit, resulted in the seizure of two handguns, one of them loaded, one ounce of powder cocaine, a half ounce of heroine and $2,000 in Canadian cash.
Laurie was charged Wednesday with possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property (the gun), careless use of a firearm, and possession of illegal drugs.
Laurie is being held in custody by police and was expected to go before a provincial court judge today (Feb. 2).