POLICE DRUG CRACKDOWN CONTINUES

HOLY SMOKE RAID: Weekend arrest of Holy Smoke co-owner is just one
part of local force's ongoing investigation

Nelson City Police say the July 15 raid on Holy Smoke Culture Shop and
arrest of co-owner Paul DeFelice is part of a wider undercover police
investigation into the Nelson drug trade allegedly involving at least
three other establishments in Nelson and about a dozen
individuals.

"It was just a probe into the drug trade and it was in hotels and bars
and licensed premises around town and part of that was the Holy
Smoke," said Detective Sgt. Steve Bank.

"There's going to be a lot more arrests once we've got all of the
paperwork done and there's going to be arrest warrants issued for a
number of people throughout the city. The drugs involved [in the wider
investigation] was cocaine, marijuana, and hashish."

Police are also probing trade in psilocybins - an ingredient in
mushrooms.

Bank declined to name the three establishments police focused on in
their investigation. He indicated that they are also looking at
dial-a-dopers who allegedly sell drugs by cell phone. He said police
have already made three arrests and are waiting for crown counsel to
review the files and approve charges before arrest warrants can be
issued.

Bank said he hopes to have the investigation wrapped up within a
month.

DeFelice was charged with possession of a substance on July 15 as well
as two counts of trafficking on in a controlled substance on June 2.
In their search of the Holy Smoke Culture Shop, police say they seized
a pound and a half of marijuana - what Bank called a "fairly large
quantity" - between $8,000 and $9,000 in cash, and documents related
to the operations of the retailer. The search was conducted after
6:15 p.m. Saturday to avoid creating an unnecessary disturbance,
police said.

According to Bank, the investigation was prompted by complaints,
intelligence and source information.

"This investigation involving the Holy Smoke was long overdue and it
really comes down to resources and being able to fund an investigation
of this kind," he said, adding that the two-phase probe took eight
days.

"The decision to conduct this investigation was mine and mine alone.
There was no interference or pressure from any political group
whatsoever. Nobody outside of my partner and myself and the chief
constable were aware that this investigation was ongoing."

Bank said that Holy Smoke is not the focus of the investigation, but
explained that so far it is the only establishment in Nelson where a
search warrant has been conducted and it may likely be the only one
that requires a search. He said that it would be no surprise to the
community who the police are investigating.

"The individuals [allegedly] involved were all people who have
established themselves in our community as [alleged] dealers of drugs
and that includes the Holy Smoke," he said.

The raid on Holy Smoke does not preclude police from searching the
premises again if, Bank said, "they continue to carry on business." He
added that police are working with Revenue Canada in their
investigation.

"I am awaiting further arrest warrants related to the Holy Smoke,"
said Bank.

The veteran officer then issued this warning: "My message would be
that if you are a buyer or seller of illegal substances then you are
leaving yourself open to being arrested. If you are a patron of the
Holy Smoke, you should keep in mind that you're leaving yourself open
to being arrested and prosecuted."

He explained that marijuana is still an illegal substance and the
notion that any drug culture is tolerated in Nelson is a misnomer. He
said that anyone who thinks they can go to Holy Smoke with impunity
and allegedly purchase drugs is "making a serious mistake."

"If there's a feeling that it's tolerated in this community, that's a
mistake that people are making. It is not tolerated. The Holy Smoke
- - their [alleged] activity is not tolerated by police or frankly by
the people in the community. That's really what it came down to," he
said.