ALERT Vancouver Police Department officers took another loaded gun off the street following a routine traffic stop in the Downtown Eastside on Thursday night.

Around 8 p.m. on Thursday, VPD patrol officers spotted a black Ford Escape travelling the side streets of the Strathcona neighbourhood, just south of East Hastings Street. The constables stopped the car because it had no insurance, and located four people – three teens and an adult – inside, along with a loaded Glock 22 firearm.

The four vehicle occupants were arrested for the firearms offence and taken to jail. A significant amount of drugs was found when they were searched after their arrest.

The men – a 46-year-old from North Vancouver, an 18-year-old from Vancouver, and a 17-year-old from Vancouver – face a number of drugs and weapons charges. The fourth vehicle occupant – a 16-year-old girl from Vancouver – was released without charges.

VPD officers have seized more than 150 firearms so far in 2019.