Police in Kamloops, B.C., unexpectedly find guns and drugs in idle car

The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Several weapons and a significant amount of illicit drugs were seized on Monday after police stumbled across guns left out in plain sight in a parked car in Kamloops, B.C.

Mounties were responding to an unrelated incident on the 500-block of Columbia Street around 2:30 a.m. when they saw a man sleeping in his car, parked but running in a restaurant parking lot, said Kamloops RCMP in a statement Tuesday.

“As police approached the truck to check on its driver, they saw numerous weapons in plain view,” the statement said.

Body armour, a loaded handgun, a modified rifle, loaded magazines, ammunition, 1.5 kilograms of “suspected fentanyl” and 85 grams of cocaine were also found in the vehicle with the driver, a man in his 30s, said police.

Supt. Jeff Pelley said the considerable seizure helped with the “suppression and enforcement efforts toward drug traffickers who prey on those” in the Kamloops community.

“This kind of interaction illustrates the risks front-line officers continuously face while responding to what may seem like a routine traffic stop, check-well-being, or suspicious occurrence report,” he said.

Police say the man was arrested and released, and charge recommendations are anticipated.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have information relating to it is asked to contact Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000, and reference file 2025-1789.