Victoria, BC – The VicPD Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) is still sifting through thousands of exhibits after one of the largest property seizures in VicPD’s history.
The Crime Reduction Unit, whose primary goal is to target prolific property criminals, began investigating an Esquimalt woman, who is a Norteno associate, in August of this year. After a two month long investigation, CRU, with the assistance of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, executed a search warrant in the 600-block of Admirals Road. There, investigators seized thousands of items believed to be obtained through shoplifting, theft from vehicles and break and enters. Property was not only located inside the residence, but in a shipping container, multiple storage lockers and within three vehicles (all three vehicles were seized). Further investigation has now revealed that there are other storage lockers which investigators are following up on.
In the residence, CRU also located four guns, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl pills and $17, 455 in cash. The drugs combined value was approximately $53,000. Investigators also located a secret room which was accessed through a hidden panel in the back of a bedroom closet.
As with any investigation that involves large amounts of property, there are good news stories that come out of the investigators’ hard work. Not only was stolen property located from a file in 2004, a diary from 1939 was located in a shipping container. After some research, the daughter of the person who wrote the diary was located in Aldergrove and investigators have arranged to get the diary back to her.
Lorraine Anderson, a 52-year-old Esquimalt woman, is currently in custody facing multiple charges of unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, and possession of property obtained by crime.
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