DIALING FOR DOPE

Dealers Find Fail-Safe Method To Deliver Drugs

The make up of dial-a-dope operations is actually quite simple, but
it's ruthlessly efficient.

"It's just what it sounds like," said Vancouver police drug squad Det.
Jim Fisher, "A telephone-marketing system that allows users to get
drugs without going to the store."

A former dial-a-doper using the alias Malachi walked 24 hours through
a typical operation.

"It all starts with the cellphone," he said.

"As long as you have a pay-as-you go phone, something that you can't
trace, and a connection to a distributor you're good to go."

Equipped with the SIM cards in cellphones, dealers can easily switch
their contact lists from phone-to-phone and hide their call history so
no one knows what the phone is being used for.

"Pay as you go phones have been very problematic since they came on
the scene," admitted Fisher.

"You can't really tell who is running the operations because you can't
see or trace them."

All dial-a-dope operations start with the distributor, or boss, who
has access to the flow of drugs, mostly cocaine.

In order for him to stay safe, he works solely out of a safe house,
leaving cell-phone-armed drivers to make deliveries and find clients.

"The distributor will be in constant touch with guys on the street
making sure everything is going well, but he never puts himself out
there," explained Malachi.

A central distribution centre also helps protect the sellers on the
street, who carry minimal amounts of drugs at any given time and can
continually restock throughout the night, which results in minor
possession charges should they get busted.

Operations also constantly change their street vehicles to avoid
detection, mainly by using rental cars.

"No one uses stolen vehicles; it just draws attention to you," said
Malachi.

"The rentals are good because you can take one for a couple of days,
run it into the ground and switch."

Fisher said another popular choice is for drug dealers to constantly
buy cheap $500 junkers.

The fluid nature of dial-a-dopes makes for frustrating work for
police.

"If we do catch on to a group running a dial-a-dope, they change their
numbers and switch up their entire operation overnight," said Fisher.

It's that ability to operate secretly and adapt quickly that has
allowed dial-a-dope operations to become a thriving,
multi-million-dollar enterprise in every Lower Mainland community.

Check out tomorrow's feature on how cops are combating the crime and
how parents can find out if their kids are involved.