DRUG SEIZURES GROW WITH 'MORE FOCUSED APPROACH'

Seized drugs keep rolling into the Banff RCMP detachment.

In the past few months Banff's cops have seized a wide variety of
drugs in several busts.

They've confiscated everything from marijuana and cocaine to hashish,
magic mushrooms (psilocybin) and ecstasy.

The seizure success relates to a couple of different factors,
according to Mounties.

The first is the work of the three-member general investigations
section unit shared between Banff and Canmore. The unit has two
veteran Banff officers and another long serving member from Canmore.

The second reason is the Banff detachment is no longer short staffed.

"From what I've seen in my short tenure here there has been a focused
approach from our GIS unit working in the community, which has
resulted in some success in laying charges in respect to drugs," said
Staff Sgt. Don Ladouceur, the Banff detachment's new top cop.

Ladouceur said every community he has worked in has been impacted by
drugs, and Banff is no exception.

He also said Alberta's hot economy has created more money to be spent
on drugs in many communities.

Ladouceur said a full staff complement in Banff has also made a
difference in enforcement efforts.

"This detachment is finally fully resourced so we do have the time to
make a focused approach," he said.

Drug seizures tend to go up as the number of officers working
increases, much like the number of traffic tickets and the number of
apprehended impaired drivers.

Mounties even thought they had seized crystal meth, a particularly
dangerous drug that can trigger violent behaviour, in September until
they realized a misinterpreted lab report actually confirmed a seized
white powder substance as an amphetamine-based drug similar to
ecstasy rather than crystal meth. Ecstasy tends to provide a more
euphoric high.

A confirmed seizure of crystal meth has yet to be made in Banff,
though local Mounties believe it has been consumed prior to a number
of recent occurrences based on the behaviour of arrested persons.

"These persons exhibited violent prolonged behaviour that far
exceeded normal levels in the given circumstances," RCMP said in a
news release.

RCMP are concerned amounts of cocaine and ecstasy being sold in the
area are being laced with crystal meth to increase the potency and
addictive properties of the drugs.

Recent seizures

Mounties seized cocaine and drug related items on Thursday of last
week from a residence on Grizzly Street. Police said they made the
seizure as part of the execution of a search warrant on the residence
and seized drugs with an estimated value of $6,800. They charged a
man with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and
breach of release conditions.

RCMP had previously executed two search warrants on the same property
and on Sept. 1 seized cocaine, ecstasy, and ammunition. They seized a
handgun on Oct. 1. The man faces 11 charges in all relating to the
seizures and is being held in custody. He was scheduled to appeal in
provincial court in Calgary this week.

A Sept. 12 search warrant executed on a Muskrat Street residence
resulted in the seizure of four marijuana plants along with a half
pound of marijuana, and an unknown powder later determined to me a
form of amphetamine, but not crystal meth.

A man of Banff is charged with production of a controlled substance,
possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of a
controlled substance.

A search warrant was executed at an Otter Street residence on Nov. 1.
Two people were arrested during the search and Mounties seized
marijuana, magic mushrooms, hashish, cocaine and $1,000 in cash. One
man is facing a charge of possession of a controlled substance for
the purpose of trafficking while three others are facing charges of
possession of a controlled substance. Mounties said they also seized
$1,000 in cash and items associated with drug trafficking.