POLICE RAIDS NAIL METRO GANG

13 People Arrested As Cops Scoop Up Members Of One Drug Dealing
Group

One of two Halifax drug-dealing groups involved in a violent feud
suffered a major blow Thursday as police made 13 arrests and seized
cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana and some serious weapons.

"We have significantly disrupted a large-scale drug operation
functioning throughout this province," Assistant Commissioner Steve
Graham of Nova Scotia RCMP told an afternoon news conference in Halifax.

Chief Frank Beazley of Halifax Regional Police said the 10 men and
three women arrested all come from one side of the feud between
members of the Marriott and Melvin families seeking to control the
local drug trade.

The feud isn't strictly along family lines as some Marriotts are known
to work with the Melvins.

Chief Beazley did not provide the names of any of those arrested but
indicated they are all from the Marriott side. They are all to appear
in Halifax provincial court today, and Assistant Commissioner Graham
said more arrests are possible.

After a year of intelligence gathering, including undercover work,
police carried out search warrants at six Halifax-area homes and one
in New Glasgow at about 6 a.m. Thursday.

Officers didn't have to break down any doors, Assistant Com-missioner
Graham said.

In addition to making the arrests and confiscating the drugs, police
also seized a loaded AK-47 assault rifle, a loaded MAC-10 machine
pistol, a sawed-off shot-gun and a .22-calibre rifle.

Assistant Commissioner Graham said federal drug officers, with help
from many other forces, started Operation Intrude a year ago but
received a big boost in manpower after shootings on back-to-back days
in November in Halifax put the public in danger.

"We have followed through on our commitment to hold those responsible
for these violent incidents accountable for their actions," Chief
Beazley said.

Neither he nor Assistant Commissioner Graham would say how much the
operation cost or how much drugs were seized Thursday.

The release from prison of con-victed drug dealer James Edward
(Jimmy) Melvin Jr., 26, on Nov. 14 is thought to have triggered a
string of shootings in Halifax. Chief Beazley said Mr. Melvin's
release might have been seen as a threat to the other side in the turf
war.

On Nov. 17, someone fired several shots at Jimmy Melvin Sr., 48,
outside a pizza shop in a family-owned building in Spryfield but
missed the former self-described Hells Angels associate.

The next evening, Jason Hallett, 27, an associate of Jimmy Melvin
Jr., was shot in the wrist outside the IWK Health Centre.

On Dec. 4, Jimmy Melvin Jr. himself was shot once in the back and once
in the front of his body behind a Cowie Hill apartment building. He
spent several days in hospital.

Aaron Marriott, 18, was charged in December with attempted murder in
the IWK shooting but on Thursday three other people aged 23 to 26 were
charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and aiding
and abetting in a crime.

The 26-year-old has also been charged with conspiracy to commit
murder in the shooting of Jimmy Melvin Jr., and the 23-year-old with
being an accessory after the fact.

Chief Beazley said Jimmy Melvin Jr. might sleep better because of
the arrests.

Regional Coun. Stephen Adams (Spryfield-Herring Cove) said news of the
arrests is only "halfgood."

"I don't know what the judges are going to do," he said. "That's
always been a concern.

"Hopefully, it'll put everyone at ease and we'll get back to some
sense of normalcy."

Mr. Adams said Spryfield does not deserve its bad reputation as the
shootings haven't been random and the two groups involved could have
set up anywhere.

"Most people know they're not at peril here," he said.