Citizen's Arrest Leads to Bear Penises and a Porcupine in Bizarre BC Poaching Scheme

It was the sound of gunshots that tore through the small community of Bridge Lake, British Columbia one fateful October evening that has busted open a massive poaching investigation in the western Canadian province.

According to reports, following the sounds of gunshots, Bridge Lake residents took it upon themselves to investigate. What they found was a bewildered man exiting the woods who allegedly lost track of his ‘hunting’ party. The locals then placed the confused hunter under “citizen’s arrest” while they waited on RCMP officers to arrive on the scene.

"A truck took off," the search warrant says. "But one male was found on scene, and people have performed a 'citizens arrest.'"

According to the documentation, a witness allegedly told investigators the man did not speak English.

"She claimed her husband "got the suspect to kneel down and take any items out of his pocket. The suspect then ran off on foot," the warrant read.

Police arrived on scene after the suspect fled, but were soon able to locate a deer in a nearby ditch that was still alive and suffering from a wound to its torso. The officers euthanized the animal shortly after discovering it.

"As a Conservation officer, I know that remote areas .... suffer from prolific illegal hunting during prohibited hours," B.C. Conservation Officer Joel Kline wrote in the document sworn to obtain a search warrant.

"These illegal activities often lead to conflicts between the offending parties and the property owners/occupants."

Officers then followed a blood trail and were led to an abrupt stop as it looked as though the animals were dragged to a specific location and picked up along a nearby roadway. While officers were unable to uncover the carcasses, they were led to a private property where they were able to uncover a dead porcupine and a pair of prized bear penises. 

Given their use in traditional Chinese medicine, bear penis bone or baculum is highly sought after on the black market. Given that it is illegal to possess bear dick bone in the province of British Columbia if it is separated from the hide, the investigation tuened from simple poaching to illegal trade.

Continuing to canvas the private property, conservation officers located a black truck they believed was a vehicle belonging to their suspect. With a picture of the suspect’s vehicle in hand, they were soon able to identify the owner. According to the warrant, the truck was registered to a businessman who resides in an $8 million mansion in Richmond - over 300 miles away from the scene of the crime.

Further investigation would reveal that the suspect, who has not been named publicly, had been named in previous complaints involving the illegal hunting of waterfowl and the spoiled remains of a moose. 

Following the raid of the recreational property, warrants were obtained for the suspect's massive residence in Richmond. During that raid, officers seized cell phones, rifles, ammunition along with frozen deer meat and a "skinned-out deer head with skull cap removed."

As of this writing, the investigation remains on-going and is extremely tight lipped. According to the warrant, officers have been cleared to investigate the contents of the electronic devices, but would not comment on the case while it remains under investigation.