A police operation unfolds in the 100 block of Brier Avenue in Kamloops, Friday, Jan. 13, 2017.

(ASHLEY LEGASSIC / iNFOnews.ca)

GYM OWNER MAY BE CONNECTED TO RED SCORPIONS

KAMLOOPS - A traffic stop conducted by the Kamloops RCMP has led to one arrest and an ongoing drug investigation in the North Shore.

Cpl. Jody Neuls told reporters today, Jan. 13, that during a traffic stop early this morning one person was arrested for possession and trafficking of an illicit substance.

The discovery led to RCMP obtaining two search warrants, one for a home in Sahali and the other for Heavy Metal Gym in North Kamloops on Briar Avenue.

Police executed the warrants today, and are still on scene at the North Shore gym, Neuls says. The RCMP's Emergency Response Team was used to execute the warrant at the gym.

Neuls says loud distraction devices were used, contrary to reports of gun shots being fired. Police are in the process of determining how this incident is connected to organized crime. She could not confirm if anyone involved in the investigation has ties to the Red Scorpions gang specifically.

Two other people have been detained in connection to the investigation and three people have been questioned and released.

There were no injuries in today's police incident on Briar Avenue and Neuls says at no point was there a threat to public safety.

In relation to the drugs seized at the traffic stop and any others seized in the investigation, Neuls says the quantity and kind of drugs will not be released until they are tested.

"Any seizures of illicit drugs is a positive effort," Neuls says. 

Although there is no threat to public safety, police are asking people to avoid the area of Briar Avenue if possible. The gym will be closed until further notice.

According to the City of Kamloops business licence directory, the owner of the gym is Konaam Shirzad.

A man with the same name has made headlines in the lower mainland during the Surrey Six trial, a case where six people died in a mass killing including two innocent bystanders.

According to CTV News, former Red Scorpions gang leader Michael Le formed a relationship with a man named Konaam Shirzad during a stint in jail. The two decided to create a gang called the "Red Scorpions."

"Le was the big brother of the entire gang, he said, becoming the sole leader as Shirzad spent most of his time in prison," the article says.

According to court documents, a man named Konaam Shirzad, born in 1982, has been in front of the courts several times since 2003. He's been charged with offences including assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and firearms and weapons offences. Most of the court appearances have been in the lower mainland.

Neuls couldn't confirm the identity of anyone in custody and she couldn't confirm if the gym owner is under investigation.

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News from © iNFOnews, 2017