INDIAN HEAD GETS CAUGHT UP IN BUST

Many Indian Head residents were in the dark Wednesday after part of a
large Quebec-based drug raid was carried out in their town early that
morning.

Saskatchewan RCMP spokeswoman Heather Russell said the search took
place in the early morning hours at a commercial building on the edge
of the town of Indian Head, about 70 kilometres east of Regina.

The search warrant was carried out by members of the Montreal RCMP
drug section with assistance from the Regina Integrated Drug Unit,
made up of members of both the RCMP and the Regina Police Service.

Montreal RCMP spokesman Corp. Guy Amyot said no one was arrested
during the Indian Head search.

"As far as Indian Head is concerned, it's still under investigation,"
he said.

While the raids made news across the country, Indian Head residents
contacted by the Leader-Post had not yet heard about the search in
their area as of Wednesday afternoon. That included Mayor David McCall.

"We think it's a pretty quiet and peaceful place, so I'm rather
surprised," he said. "I'm rather shocked, but I guess I go to enough
meetings where I hear that there is activity by organized crime right
across the country, and of course we're sitting here on No. 1 Highway
so I suppose it's possible. But I'm just very surprised to hear it."

More than 40 raids took place in Quebec early Wednesday, revolving
around what RCMP say is the centre of a large drug operation in
Kahnesatake near Montreal. That is where alleged leader Sharon Simon,
48, was arrested at her home as part of what RCMP dubbed Project Cleopatra.

Simon has been charged with offences related to what police are
calling a drug-trafficking ring involving marijuana and ecstasy. She
allegedly has close ties to Quebec members of the Hells Angels and
others involved in organized crime.

Simon is one of 36 people who were arrested Wednesday -- including two
former police officers -- after police raided 42 locations in the
greater Montreal area, Quebec's Eastern Townships and Indian Head.

It is believed the Indian Head property was searched as part of the
investigation focused on ecstasy production; police suspect the drug
network was supplied with key ecstasy ingredients from that location.

"This network, this drug ring, it was involved in exportation of,
we're talking about 100 pounds of marijuana weekly towards the States
as well as ecstasy," Amyot said of the Quebec operation.

Police also believe almost $5 million was laundered as part of the
drug operation.

More than 350 police officers were involved in the drug raids. The
investigation began in April 2005.