A REMINDER OF THE DRUG WORLD'S VIOLENCE IN KAMLOOPS

Kamloops Mounties say the attempted armed robbery of an undercover cop
during a set-up dope deal on Thursday shows just how violent the local
drug world can be.

Without offering details, RCMP Insp. Yves Lacasse said an undercover
officer was unhurt following the confrontation, which apparently
involved four suspects - two men, a woman and a youth.

All four are in custody facing robbery and firearms-related
charges.

The incident occurred at the conclusion of a two-month undercover
operation targeting street-level drug dealers in Kamloops.

"We weren't going after the big fish," Lacasse said.

"It was more the guys on the street."

Six people are currently in custody, but Mounties are seeking warrants
for another 37 dealers.

"The other ones, we're coming after you," Lacasse said.

"I know that our guys can't wait to have these guys in silver
bracelets."

The undercover operation, dubbed Project E-Prantincole by police,
resulted in the seizure of almost $40,000 worth of dope - including
more than $30,000 in ecstasy and another $7,000 worth of cocaine.

"I was surprised by the amount of ecstasy that's ready and available
in Kamloops," said RCMP Cpl. Gary Senner of the Kamloops detachment's
drug squad.

"The coke and the crack is pretty much normal."

Senner said violence is common in the drug world, but it isn't often
that an undercover officer finds himself the victim of an attempted
armed robbery.

"It was tense," he said.

"Any time you do one of these [undercover operations], there's that
potential. This is one of those things that you never know when it's
going to happen."

Lacasse said he was worried when he heard about the
incident.

"When I got the call, I wanted to vomit," he said.

"I was very, very scared for my officers."

According to Lacasse, Project E-Prantincole is just another example of
the lengths local cops are willing to go to put a dent in the Kamloops
drug trade.

"We're prepared to resort to any means available to tackle these drug
dealers," he said, noting recent operations that have included
undercover cops, wiretaps and paid agents.

"We're going to continue to do whatever it takes to clean the city of
this filth. Our job is to keep these people on their toes."

A number of the drug dealers targeted in the undercover operation have
links to organized crime, though police haven't said with which gangs
they are aligned.

Lacasse said the 37 remaining suspects will likely be arrested in the
coming days.