POLICE RAZE UNDERGROUND DRUG HIDEOUT

A squatter's subterranean dope den was bulldozed into history Thursday
under orders from Saskatoon city police.

Someone walking in the bush on city-owned land near the Circle Drive
Alliance Church discovered the octagon-shaped hole in the ground about two
weeks ago and called the Crimestoppers hotline, said Staff Sgt. Lionel Aadland.

Police who went to the secluded site south of the city found someone had
dug a hole two metres deep and almost five metres across, lined it with
plywood walls and floor and covered it with two-by-fours covered with an
orange construction tarpaulin.

The walls of the bunker extended slightly above ground and were banked up
with earth. A trap door and ladder gave access to the burrow, where chairs,
cushions and pieces of carpet decorated the space, which was accessorized
with ashtrays, hash pipes and other paraphernalia.

"It was used by people for smoking marijuana and hash. It was quite an
endeavour," Aadland said.

"Lots of energy was expended there by some young people. I'm sure their
parents would have liked to have had that effort put into yardwork or
something this spring.

"It was all new chip board. Whether it was purchased or liberated from some
construction site, I'm not sure," he said.

The structure would have cost several hundred dollars to build with
purchased materials, he said.

Police monitored the area and laid possession of cannabis charges against
three young adults. Their names were not available Thursday. Police haven't
determined who took ownership of the structure.

A city crew used heavy equipment to push the earth and materials into the
hole and pack it down Thursday.

"It was very well-concealed. Once the trees would have leafed out it would
have been almost undetectable from outside," said Aadland.