Four people with alleged connections to the 856 gang were arrested in Yellowknife on Thursday.
Police executed two warrants in the city – one at a downtown residence believed to be in the area of 43 Street, and one at a hotel. One witness said at least five unmarked RCMP vehicles had been involved.
Police told us they seized “a significant quantity of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia” in the operation. All four of those in custody are from British Columbia. No charges have yet been laid and the investigation is ongoing.
Thought witnesses reported hearing gunfire, police say these sounds were actually the result of “techniques used to gain entry” and no shots were fired.
The BC-based 856 gang is about a decade old and has been active in Yellowknife for a number of years. Its name comes from the Aldergrove, BC area code, and its drug-trafficking operations are believed to stretch to various communities in the Northwest Territories and northern Alberta.
“This is the fourth time in the past two years the RCMP has taken significant enforcement action against the 856 gang in Yellowknife,” read a police statement on Thursday.
“This not only shows the gang’s resilience, but also the commitment of the RCMP to thwart their illegal activities in the community.”
Police in Yellowknife have previously identified driving the gang out of the city as a priority.
