A 19-year-old man from Mission was arrested after a major drug bust where Kamloops RCMP seized thousands of dollars in cash and drugs from a motel yesterday.

RCMP spokesperson Const. Crystal Evelyn says the investigation began after a vehicle with mismatched plates tipped police off.

She says a man tried to resist arrest for driving without insurance in the 1500-block of River Street, but was handcuffed after a passer-by helped police. On searching the man, police found an unknown amount of drugs.

Evelyn says because of the potential threat to officer and civilian safety, Kamloops RCMP called in the Southeast District Emergency Response Team before searching a room at the Riverland Inn and Suites motel around 10:45 p.m.

All told, police seized about five ounces of suspected cocaine, 3.6 ounces of suspected fentanyl, and thousands of dollars in cash.

“Even in the very initial stages of this investigation, police were met with resistance, illustrating how quickly risk can escalate when dealing with those involved in the illegal drug trade,” Kamloops RCMP Staff Sgt. Simon Pillay said. “In this case, kudos to the civilian who recognized what was going on and came to the officer’s assistance.”

“Thanks to that initial arrest, the officer’s safety was maintained and he was also able to uncover evidence which led to our CRU and TEU teams obtaining and executing a search warrant. That warrant ended with police removing a substantial amount of drugs and cash off the streets and out of the drug trade.”

No names were released, and Evelyn says the suspect was later released but notes the investigation is ongoing.

If you have any information you’re asked to call Kamloops RCMP.