THUGS TARGETTING DRUG DEALERS

Distributor Wants Cops To Crack Down On Gang Terrorizing Small-Time Pot
Peddlers

COLE HARBOUR - An armed gang is terrorizing small-time Cole Harbour drug
dealers, robbing them and threatening to invade their homes unless they
hand over money and dope. But the dealers won't go to the cops for help
because of their illegal business. A local marijuana "distributor" says
he's tallied up daily losses over the last few weeks, and worries one of
his young pot sellers will be seriously hurt or killed unless police try to
catch the gang ripping off his dealers. The man, who asked not to be named
or have any references made that could identify him, said he distributes
marijuana to a small network of street-level dealers in Cole Harbour.

For the last month and a half, they've been victimized by a gang robbing
them with threats of beatings and home invasions. Dealers have been
threatened with guns and other weapons unless they turn over their drugs
and money.

"Some of my guys are only 19 or 20 years old and still live at home with
their parents," said the man. "They're scared."

The distributor believes the same group is responsible for as many as seven
rip-offs since the beginning of November.

"It's going to blow up one of these days, and somebody is going to get
hurt," the man said. "They're coming in pistol-whipping guys. Everyone is
on edge."

Police are also concerned about the rip-offs, especially about allegations
that an armed gang is roaming Cole Harbour.

"The safety and the welfare of the community are our main concern," said
RCMP Const. Joe Taplin. He said that if a complaint of a mugging, home
invasion or extortion attempt is made to police - even if it's drug related
- - the case is fully investigated.

"Anytime we receive information on these type of incidents, we investigate
them," he said.

Part of the problem for police in situations like this is dealing with the
shady world of the crime. Taplin said police know that crimes committed
against other criminals are often never reported.

He said small-time drug dealers may believe they are doing something
harmless, but they are part of the criminal element, whether they think so
or not. That increases their chances of being a victim of crime.

"Selling drugs is illegal in Canada," he said. "If you are conducting an
illegal act, you have to take the consequences of that, both with the
possibility of police arrest, and on the negative side, with criminal
activity."

The RCMP can't confirm if any of the Cole Harbour incidents alleged by the
drug distributor are under investigation.

But they do say the threats of violence and robberies show that illegal
marijuana sales have the potential to bring other crimes into neighbourhoods.

The RCMP say marijuana dealers and home drug-growing operations are targets
for criminals either looking to steal grass and cash, or to control the
street-level drug trade. The 2004 Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada
annual report considers marijuana dealing and neighbourhood grow operations
as prime sources of violence between groups vying for control of the drug
trade.

The anonymous distributor said he's just a businessman selling grass
wholesale to street level dealers.

"And they're mostly in it to pay for their own (pot)," he said.

He alleges the police know who is doing the drug rip-offs and says the
situation could worsen dramatically unless the Mounties act quickly. The
man said the ring-leader of the drug rip-off gang is a man in his early 20s
who openly brags about other robberies he claims to have pulled off.

"It's going to blow up," he said. "Someone is going to get killed because
the cops should've had this guy a long f---ing time ago."

He acknowledges the dealers are caught in a tough situation.

"They can't go to the cops because they sell pot, and they can't go to
their parents and tell them, because they sell pot," he said.

The man said a young man was confronted by the gang nearly two weeks ago in
the vicinity of Taranaki Drive in an apparent robbery attempt. The victim
broke away from as many as six gang members threatening to break into his
parent's house unless he handed over his money and pot.

The dealer tried to report the extortion attempt to the Mounties.

"But they seemed more concerned with the gram of marijuana he had in his
truck," said the distributor.

The man also said he received a panicky call last week from one of his
dealers saying that a shot or shots were fired in the vicinity of Flying
Cloud Drive during an attempted rip-off.

"The situation is getting out of control," he said.

Police couldn't confirm the report of shots being fired, but Taplin said
it' s not surprising that weapons are being used.

"When you perform illegal acts or are part of the drug trade, there are a
lot of consequences that come along with that. One of the consequences is
that you are opening yourself up to this."