RCMP are remaining tight-lipped about a flurry of police activity in the Halifax area on Monday, but CTV News has learned it may be part of a large drug investigation.
Several RCMP officers were seen searching a home in a Bedford, N.S. neighbourhood, towing three vehicles away from the premises.
“I was in the house and I heard a siren but I didn't pay any attention, and then a little later I looked outside and I see a bunch of undercover cop cars, I guess,” said local resident Trang Nguyen.
“We just heard a police car and then we seen one go down, and there was a car stopped and then an RCMP came by and it looked like they took somebody in handcuffs,” said local resident Beth Spratt.
A witness told CTV News the person arrested was a man.
Another vehicle was taken away from a second location along the Bedford Highway, where officers were seen loading a plastic bag full of items into their car.
RCMP confirmed to CTV News they made arrests, and anticipate more, but said little beyond that, except that the “ongoing investigation” is still unfolding.
More information is expected to be released on Tuesday, but a source tells CTV News that a number of people were arrested on Monday, both in Nova Scotia and in other provinces.
The operation is a cocaine bust, the source says, with searches taking place both in the Halifax area and outside the city. They say the investigation is related to a major drug trafficking ring that has international ties.
Some Bedford residents were disturbed by the close proximity of the police operation.
“It’s a little scary considering there are so many kids and families in this neighbourhood,” said local resident Megan Carson.
“I have a 9-year-old and the thought that that's across from there is kind of scary.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jacqueline Foster
