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Anti-gang unit deployed in B.C. Peace Region

Anti-gang deployment in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek murder trial, are latest indications of how deep organized crime, illicit drug trade and more has taken hold across British Columbia’s Peace Region.

Published Sep 14, 2026  •  3 minute read

Large amount of suspected illicit drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl were confiscated. Photo by RCMP /Postmedia

Two-week deployment of an anti-gang unit in Fort St. John has resulted in the seizure of seven firearms, suspected cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, $16,000 in cash and other weapons — the latest indication of how deep organized crime and illicit drug trading has taken hold across British Columbia’s Peace Region.

At the same time, three men accused in a 2023 killing of Dawson Creek resident Eric Douglas Girbav made first appearances in B.C. Supreme Court, bringing a long-running homicide investigation back into the public zeitgeist.

The two developments are separate investigations, but together paint a broader picture of violence and criminal activity that police and residents have been confronting across the region.

At the request of Fort St. John RCMP, officers from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. were deployed in the city from Aug. 21 to Sept. 5.

Local intelligence helped specialized officers identify and investigate people believed to be involved. Multiple arrests and investigations followed.

In addition to drugs and cash, the haul included seven firearms — handguns, rifles and a shotgun — along with brass knuckles, ammunition, a knife, a BB gun and bear spray.

Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha of CFSEU-BC confirmed with Postmedia on Monday no 3D or printed firearms were recovered by the recent deployment in Fort St. John, adding local intelligence and specialized enforcement is necessary to disrupt gang activity and violence associated with the drug trade.

“By combining the local knowledge and intelligence, we are better positioned to target those individuals who pose the greatest risk to public safety.”

South of Fort St. John, a Dawson Creek murder case has moved into B.C. Supreme Court. Tanner Allan Murray, Robert James Sinclair and Benjamin James Elliott Touchette are charged with first-degree murder in the death of Girbav, 37, found dead inside a vehicle in Dawson Creek on Dec. 31, 2023.

This was also the same evening Cole Hosack was seen on a handful of security cameras being chased by a truck throughout the Dawson Creek downtown core. Hosack remains to be considered missing to this day.

Murray, Sinclair and Touchette were charged in February 2026 — already in custody on unrelated matters when arrested. Investigators believe the three and Girbav knew one another. The case was moved from Dawson Creek to Prince George in July with the consent of all lawyers and is proceeding by direct indictment.

Residents on both sides of the B.C.—Alberta border have increasingly relied on their own social media networks to share warnings, report suspicious activity and follow police investigations.

But those same networks can spread rumours before facts are confirmed. This tension was evident in the case of Jesse Twain, whose disappearance generated intense online speculation before his body was found Oct. 13, 2025 in a vehicle outside Dawson Creek. Online posts began identifying the body before RCMP confirmed Twain’s DNA.

Dawson Creek connections to Fort St. John were documented through reporting on Arron Linklater, a longtime Dawson Creek resident described by a local business owner as a drug dealer who would travel to Fort St. John when pressure increased in Mile Zero. Fort St. John residents said they became aware of his presence through their own local networks. Linklater was found dead in his Dawson Creek home in September of last year.

The Peace’s serious crime footprint also extends beyond Canada. Dawson Creek man Ryan Friesen remains free in Canada while appealing a Mexican conviction for the 2023 death of his girlfriend, Dawson Creek resident Kiara Agnew. A Mexican judge overturned Friesen’s earlier acquittal and convicted him of femicide in 2026, while a Canadian petition demanding imprisonment has gathered roughly 7,000 signatures.

RBrown@postmedia.com

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