POT CAFE RESUMES BUSINESS ONE DAY AFTER POLICE RAID

Acted On Two Complaints

VANCOUVER - Less than one day after a police raid on Vancouver's
controversial pot cafe, a new load of marijuana was delivered and
business was brisk.

Joint-smoking tourists gathered outside Da Kine Cafe, shooting photos
of themselves exhaling clouds of pungent smoke.

As afternoon sales continued, a number of staff members arrested in
the police raid the night before appeared in provincial court on drug
charges.

Vancouver police seized 20 pounds of marijuana, a pound of hashish and
$63,000 cash during the raid on Da Kine, which senior police officials
characterized as a significant drug house.

Investigators counted more than 230 visitors to the business within an
hour and a half during their surveillance, said Inspector Dave Nelmes,
head of the Vancouver police drug section, and the store did some
$30,000 of business a day.

He said the store's cash register indicated Da Kine had made $27,000
in sales on the day of the raid.

Drug squad investigators arrested seven cafe staff members and Insp.
Nelmes said police have recommended to Crown prosecutors they be
charged with drug trafficking and possession of marijuana for the
purpose of trafficking.

"This was not a small, insignificant compassion club," said Acting
Deputy Chief Bob Rolls. "This was a drug house and a very significant
operation."

Insp. Nelmes said an Aug. 26 tip to the Crime Stoppers line alerted
police that Da Kine was selling pot, several days before cafe owner
Carol Gwilt went public about the store's marijuana sales and the plea
that the four-month-old business be allowed to stay open.

Deputy Chief Rolls added police had received a complaint about Da Kine
through a community policing office and another complaint from a citizen.

He said Da Kine's "flaunting their criminal activity and demonstrating
their contempt for the laws of Canada" elevated it as a priority for
police.

Insp. Nelmes said the drug squad decided last week that it could go
ahead with the raid based on its available resources and plans for
other investigations.

Dozens of officers, some wearing balaclavas, descended on Da Kine at
5:40 p.m. on Thursday to serve a search warrant on the cafe.

Police cordoned off a block of Commercial Drive during the raid.
Deputy Chief Rolls said the size of the force was unusually large for
a drug-search warrant, but investigators based it on expectations that
there would be a crowd of 200 to 300 people on hand, which there was.

"We had enough [officers] there to discourage activities or
confrontations," he added.

No customers were arrested, but they were all questioned and Insp.
Nelmes said they were all asked whether they had Health Canada
authorization to possess marijuana for medicinal purposes. None could
produce the required certificate.