The mayor of Delta, home to Canada’s largest container terminal, says organized crime groups are exploiting security weaknesses at ports.

“We need to have better federal policy. I’m very upset and I continue to be,” George Harvie said in an interview with CTV News.

Over the past two weeks, RCMP have announced arrests in two large investigations linked to Mexican drug cartels.

A raid in Surrey recovered drugs, weapons and cash and three men were arrested.

They have since been released and RCMP say they are laying drug and firearms charges.

A search in Falkland, east of Kamloops, has uncovered what police describe as the largest and most sophisticated super drug lab in Canadian history.

Police say Gaganpreet Randhawa is “considered the prime suspect” and is currently in custody on several drug and weapons charges.

Harvie says transnational organized criminals operate freely in B.C.

“The cartels are known to be here,” he said. “And we receive illegal contraband, including weapons, drugs and precursors, from land, from the air and from the sea.”

Harvie is calling for the creation of a national police force dedicated to cracking down on illegal activity at ports – something the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency are currently responsible for.

British Columbia’s Minister of Public Safety has raised the issue with his federal counterparts.

“Last September, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General wrote to the federal government, urging it to strengthen law enforcement and continue its efforts to close gaps in federal laws and regulations that groups in the organized crime are operating in our ports,” said the B.C. » said the Ministry of Public Security in a statement.

Former B.C. Solicitor General Kash Heed sees no reason to create an entirely new agency when Mounties are already on the job.

“It’s not a good idea and the resources could absolutely be used in a different way,” he said.

Heed believes the RCMP may need new strategies to combat illegal activity at ports – and says it could require additional funding.

He said it was an investment that would be a better use of taxpayers’ money than the creation of a dedicated national port police agency.

“Why would we incur so much expense and work when we have a mandated federal agency that is responsible for it at this particular time?” » Heed said.