STREET DRUGS PART OF THE MAINSTREAM: POLICE BOARD

Project Mercury, the lengthy police investigation into what law
enforcement officials say was a major drug trafficking operation
operated by an organized crime group, is proof that the scourge of
street drugs -- once limited to murky alleyways and rock star
dressing rooms -- isn't going away any time soon and has become more
mainstream, say members of the Niagara police services board.

In her regular report to board members Sept. 25, Police Chief Wendy
Southall said no less than $20 million worth of marijuana and
equipment has been seized so far in illegal grow-op raids in Niagara this year.

A day earlier -- shortly after Niagara this Week called the NRP to
ask about the police raid of a house on Westland Street in St.
Catharines -- the NRP and various other police agencies that have
worked together on Project Mercury for the past nine months unveiled
a cache of weapons, street drugs and about $830,000 in cash seized so
far as part of the ongoing investigation.

The house on Westland was one of three homes raided in Niagara in
recent months, including one in Welland and one in Thorold.

So far, 16 people from Niagara have been charged with numerous
offences such as possession of prohibited firearms, unlawful
possession of explosives, conspiracy to traffic cocaine and
participating in a criminal organization.

Southall said the probe, which included seizing numerous vehicles, is
part of a strategy by police to hit organized crime where it really
hurts -- by seizing their assets and selling them off as being from
the proceeds of crime.

The money from selling off those assets can then be redirected back
into enhanced law enforcement efforts.

Police board member Mal Woodhouse said the large-scale drug busts
point to a much larger problem.

"(It's) the impact of drugs on our society," he said. "I liken it to
the Black Plague.

"It's really tragic what's happening out there."

Fellow board member Bill Smeaton, a regional councillor from Niagara
Falls, said compounding the problem is that street drugs are no
longer just used by junkies, hippies and rock stars. Today, they've
gone mainstream.

"Doctors, lawyers, teachers and college professors are using them,"
he said. "Everybody's using it for entertainment.

"Every sector of society is using these drugs."