POLICE SEIZE 'UNPRECEDENTED' AMOUNTS OF DRUGS

Drug-enforcement officers were kept hopping this week, uprooting a
field of pot and seizing a sizable quantity of cocaine in separate
investigations.

"The significance of these seizures is unprecedented in the city,"
commented OPP Const. Sean McTeague. "The enforcement level in Orillia
has stepped up quite a bit."

On Monday, police discovered 260 grams of cocaine inside a vehicle
that had been pulled over on Coldwater Road near Highway 11, arresting
and charging a Rama man and an Orillia woman with possession for the
purpose of trafficking.

The drugs were estimated to be worth $26,000.

"That is certainly not personal use at that level," McTeague added.

On the same day, seven people were arrested and charged with a variety
of offenses after police executed a search warrant at a Mississaga
Street apartment.

Police found more than 16 grams of crack cocaine, 23 grams of powdered
cocaine and a small quantity of marijuana resin, with a total
estimated street value of $3,300.

Officials believe the suspects were in the process of manufacturing
crack cocaine when police arrived at the scene.

Scales and crack pipes worth another $300 were also seized.

Six people from the Orillia area and one Newmarket resident face
drug-related charges, and are being held for a bail hearing scheduled
for Monday morning.

Both investigations were carried out by the Huronia Combined Forces
Drug Unit in conjunction with Orillia OPP and Mnjikaning Police Services.

"The problems here are significant," McTeague said of the demand for
crack cocaine and other highly-addictive drugs.

That demand is also driving up violent crimes in the community, he
said.

"It is definitely linked to the drug problem," he said, noting that
police have investigated 14 robberies since May 1. "Persons involved
in substance abuse quite often can't hold a job and resort to other
means to support their habit."

In the same breath, McTeague said police are increasingly successful
in ferreting out suppliers of illegal drugs.

"People are getting a pretty good bang for their buck when it comes to
the resources of the officers here," he added.

On Tuesday afternoon, 400 marijuana plants worth roughly $100,000 were
found growing in a hay field on Town Line Road in Severn Township,
west of Orillia.

The plants were pulled from the ground and destroyed off-site.

Police last week seized 47 grams of cocaine, eight grams of pot,
digital scales, and more than $1,800 in cash from a Ramara Township
home.

Three men were arrested and charged with possession for the purposes
of trafficking cocaine and possession of marijuana.