Police seized kilograms worth of illegal street and prescription drugs, along with weapons and cash after arrests at the Albert St. overdose prevention site on Sept. 12. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

massive bust

Kilograms of illicit drugs, guns and money seized by Nanaimo police after OPS arrests

Sep 24, 2024 | 9:24 AM

NANAIMO — Local Mounties are calling it a “significant drugs and weapons bust” connected to a local overdose prevention site.

As first reported by NanaimoNewsNOW, Gerid James Gregory-Allen and Sara Lynn Koshman face a combined 33 drugs and weapons charges, after police investigated a tip from the public which indicated active drug trafficking in downtown Nanaimo, near the Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) on Albert St.

Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien told NanaimoNewsNOW the detachment’s Special Investigation Targeted Enforcement unit followed up on the report and arrested both Gregory-Allen and Koshman.

“[Officers] seized a number of items which included a loaded pistol, a large amount of methamphetamine, cocaine, suspected fentanyl, opiate tablets and about $950 in Canadian currency.”

Roughly half a kilogram of drugs were seized, in addition to the tablets.

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Subsequent investigations included a raid of nearby motel room where more drugs and weapons were found.

O’Brien said a further three guns, including two prohibited weapons, and ammunition were uncovered along with “an abundance of other weapons”.

Another 1.1 kilograms of various drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl were also seized as well as $15,000 in Canadian currency.

O’Brien was unable to confirm whether the pair were working at or otherwise linked to the Overdose Prevention Site, run by the Canadian Mental Health Association’s mid-Island branch, under contract from Island Health.

However, executive director Jason Harrison confirmed the arrests occurred at the site on Sept. 12.

Harrison, or the CMHA, has yet to respond to an inquiry from NanaimoNewsNOW regarding a social media post from Koshman in July stating she was working at the facility.

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