CRACKDOWN TAKES AIM AT CITY'S HARD DRUGS

NELSON POLICE DEPARTMENT: Lengthy investigation results in arrests and
police say they have already seen a difference on the streets of
Nelson as a result

After seven months of investigation, the Nelson Police Department has
arrested and charged nine Nelson residents with drug trafficking offenses.

The investigation focused mainly in public places, bars and pubs, The
Holy Smoke Culture Shop, and "dial-a-dope" operations in which drugs
are requested over the phone and then delivered.

The NPD used investigational methods such as wiretaps, cell phone
cloning, surveillance, under-cover operators, source agent development
and search warrants.

Of the nine people uncovered by the investigation, five were charged
with cocaine-related offenses, one with allegedly trafficking ecstasy
and two with allegedly trafficking marijuana.

NPD Sergeant Steve Bank, who headed up the investigation, said their
main target was hard drug dealers who were selling small quantities.

"We're talking about people who were trafficking grams, half grams,
right up to an eight of an ounce of cocaine," Bank said. "The ecstasy
dealers could deal in the range (10 to 40) tablets."

Bank said the goal of the investigation was to lower the crime rate in
the city and improve the quality of life.

"The drug trafficking trade in Nelson...it fuels the crime rate in our
community," Bank said. "Both serious crimes, like home invasions,
assaults and weapons offenses, and also the petty and nuisance crimes
like thefts, shoplifting and burglary.

"(It) exploits some of the most vulnerable segments of the community
and that's people with addictions. We're the frontline people, so we
see how drug trafficking causes desperation in people's lives;
destroys families and in some cases kills people."

A total of 20 criminal charges have been laid against the nine male
suspects, and only four of the nine suspects have been arrested. At
press time the other five are still at large and evading police.

The one individual charged with allegedly trafficking marijuana from
The Holy Smoke was actually doing so in September when the owners and
two other employees were on trial for trafficking marijuana out of
their shop in a high-profile provincial court case.

Already, Bank said the investigation and the resulting arrests have
cleaned up the city - at least for the time being.

"It certainly has made a big difference," he said. "There's
definitely a lull in the activity at the moment. But without a doubt,
there'll be people who will fill the void in the market.

"But it doesn't take long for them to make themselves very obvious in
the community. We'll deal with them as well."