COPS MAKE MAJOR DRUG BUST

Joint Operation Between RCMP And Other Forces Leads To The Arrests Of
24 Suspects From P.E.I., N.S. And Ontario

More than three years of police work by the RCMP and other law enforcement
agencies paid off Tuesday as police swooped down on residences in P.E.I.,
Nova Scotia and Ontario, arresting 24 suspects in a major drug operation.

Cpl. Ken Murray, a spokesman for the RCMP'S drug awareness section in
Charlottetown, said those arrested were part of a high-profile drug ring
that has been moving drugs into P.E.I. from Ontario and Nova Scotia for
some time.

Those arrested face a total of 130 charges of conspiracy to traffic in
marijuana, hashish, cocaine and ecstasy.

Those charged from P.E.I. include nine males, aged 28-46, and one female,
aged 27. One of those charged from P.E.I. is a 34-year-old man from the
Mayfield area near Cavendish already serving time at a federal correctional
facility at Springhill, N.S.

Arrested as well were four persons from Nova Scotia, all males, ranging in
age from 36 to 43, seven males from Ontario, aged 35-58, and two females
from Ontario, aged 43 and 47.

The suspects from Ontario were flown into Charlottetown Tuesday afternoon
in two groups on RCMP aircraft.

They were met at the airport by a large contingent of RCMP and members of
the emergency response team on hand in the event anything transpired at the
airport.

All of those arrested Tuesday from outside P.E.I. were brought to P.E.I. to
face charges because the RCMP here served as the lead investigating agency
and the charges originate here.

While the charges laid Tuesday evolve around conspiracy to traffic in
drugs, other charges are possible, the RCMP spokesman indicated.

Those charges could include weapons charges because police seized a number
of firearms during their search of the suspects' residences.

Small quantities of cannabis products, cocaine and money were also seized.

Police may also initiate proceedings under the proceeds of crime laws that
could result in the seizure of money, vehicles and other assets from those
arrested.

The arrests stem from an investigation that began in 1999 with intelligence
gathering and the sharing of information between the various police
departments.

The investigation has been at full throttle since May of last year,
involving more than 30 police officers at several levels. Over 100 officers
were involved in the actual searches conducted Tuesday and the accompanying
arrests.

Murray said this is a major drug bust for this region.

"This was quite significant. One of our main priorities is organized crime.
Although we live in a small area this has proven to be an organization
that's operated in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario and was
capable of bringing in significant amounts of drugs. We see the effects of
this on our streets and in our schools."

Murray said the arrests and the subsequent charges will go a long way
towards curbing drug activity in P.E.I.

He tied a number of large drug seizures made earlier this year to this
investigation, including one at Borden-Carleton that netted 10 kilograms of
hashish and one in Summerside that netted six kilograms of hashish.

Murray said a high level of co-operation between the various police
agencies was key to the operation's success.

"By sharing our resources with other RCMP divisions, municipal and
provincial police forces, we were able to identify this organized crime
activity. These arrests will have a major impact on the illegal drug market
in P.E.I. which greatly impacts our youth."