A British Columbia man has been sentenced to life in prison for a murder at a Mission grow-op.
In a decision posted online last week, Van Chau Nguyen pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Vien Bui, who died in August of 2020.
Nguyen was convicted of killing Bui and assaulting and confining four others inside a home before setting it on fire.
He will not be eligible for parole for 12 years.
Data from Vancouver police shows a "dramatic" drop in small drug seizures after decriminalization came into effect in British Columbia last year. The department says during the first nine months of the program officers did not seize any drugs under 2.5 grams, as is outlined in Health Canada's three-year exemption.
Mounties in Richmond are warning the public after a "significant rise" in romance scams and investment schemes in the city, with a loss of more than $16 million last year. Police say they received 87 reports of romance crimes in 2023, and the trend continues this year with another 12 cases being reported between January to March with nearly $500,000 lost.
British Columbia has approved the use of an updated Taser weapon for officers around the province to use as a less-lethal weapon during police confrontations. A statement from the Ministry of Public Safety says the Taser 7 offers the ability to discharge a second shot without reloading a new cartridge and its short-distance shooting range option, among other "enhancements."
Mounties in Nanaimo say a text message scam is making its way through the community claiming drivers owe money for speeding in a school zone. Investigators say the bogus text was received by dozens of individuals throughout the Okanagan.
The British Columbia government is warning people about a scam involving its PayBC website, where an "identical fake website" is collecting personal and credit card information. The PayBC site gives residents a secure place to pay their bills or for services from the provincial government, but it says it has become aware of phishing attempts against users.
Environment Canada has added a dust advisories for a large section of central and northern British Columbia in response to "high concentrations of coarse particulate matter" that it says is most prominent near busy roads. The new advisories are up for the regions of Prince George, the Lakes District and Bulkley Valley, covering Smithers, Prince George, Vanderhoof and Houston.