A known drug house just off the Hart Highway was the target of a Controlled Drugs and Substances Act search warrant conducted by Prince George RCMP and the RCMP Emergency Response Team Thursday morning.
At about 9 a.m. police arrived at the Frankfurt Motel at 3354 Hart Highway and surrounded a detached cabin (Unit 2201) on the north side of the property.
Motel caretaker Derrick Chief, who lives next door to that unit, said he and his wife woke up to alert of a text on his phone from a neighbour who told them about the takedown. Chief tried to walk outside his own residence to get a look at the cabin but was told by an armed police officer to get back inside.
“We heard three big blasts like they were shooting something in the building that went off and it looks there’s insulation outside that was overtop of the bathroom window,” said Chief. "After the second blast I heard yelling. It sounded like a rifle shot, kind of muffled."
Prince George RCMP spokesperson Cpr. Jennifer Cooper said confirmed police at the scene fired tear gas (carbon monosulphide) canisters into the house, but there were no arrests.
"It's what the Emergency Response Team will use to clear a house in a situation where they believe to be a likelihood of weapons may be present," said Cooper.
Police closed the highway between Noranda Road and Northwood Pulpmill Road for nearly two hours before it was reopened around 11 a.m.
The unit where police converged is on the north part of the property connected by a driveway to Shady Lane.
“It’s more like a drug house,” said Chief. “There was a man and a woman living there and it looked like to me that somebody moved in and set up shop and them the traffic started coming, cars and people on foot.
“It’s gotten worse in the last three months or so but it’s been off and on for as long as I’ve been here, a couple years. It’s in a dark spot and it’s easy to hide right there. We’ve had to make a few calls to the manager because of the traffic and the people coming around. They come 24/7.”
Chief said he’s heard the sound of pounding on several occasions coming from that house and suspects it was the occupants pulverizing pills into powder form.
“They pound out pills, people that get opioids mix it with fentanyl,” Chief said.
Chief said the same unit was the target of a similar search warrant about two weeks ago and two people were arrested that day.
The 22-unit motel offers rooms for rent daily, weekly and monthly and there are four Air B’n’B units.
There are two other motels that offer long-term budget-priced accommodation across the highway and Chief said it’s not unusual for people to walk between the motels to mix with tenants at all hours of the day.
