POLICE DRUG RAID WELCOMED BY LAKE MANITOBA CHIEF

One of the ongoing policing priorities of the West Interlake RCMP
detachment and Lake Manitoba First Nations has been to crack down on
illegal drug use in the community.

Earlier this month, police sent home a message.

In the early morning of Jan. 3, 40 RCMP officers descended onto Lake
Manitoba First Nations. Members of Winnipeg's Emergency Response
Team, along with RCMP members from detachments in Gypsumville, Lundar
and Ashern executed a search warrant on a house where two adults were
arrested and taken into custody.

The pair were charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of
trafficking and firearms charges.

"Lake Manitoba has stated it is a priority to clean up the drug
problem," Ashern Cpl. Kevin Mantie said at the time. "This is only
the first of potentially many searches that will be conducted at Lake
Manitoba in the next few months."

Mantie said that information from an ongoing investigation indicated
the conditions were right in the timing of the raid.

Chief Robert Maytwayashing said he was taken by surprise at the
RCMP's actions. He was informed of the incident after it was carried out.

"The RCMP felt they had to move and we support that," Chief
Maytwayashing said. "Our main concern with drugs is the destruction
it causes within the community and families."

Maytwayashing blames the economic conditions within the community,
including lack of adequate employment opportunities and lack of
government funding for criminal activity.

"Why do people deal drugs? Economics. We are underfunded, there are
no jobs and some turn to crime to eke out some kind of a living," he
says of the unfortunate circumstances.