VPD CRACKS DOWN ON DEALERS

Could be a sketchy weekend for junkies after Vancouver police rounded
up 34 dealers in a two-day sweep through the Hastings corridor this
week.

In all, 89 charges were laid against 63 people in the 10-day
operation, dubbed TYKE 2, which kicked off July 3.

More than 20 drug squad officers went undercover and bought small
amounts of narcotics from low-level pushers.

Police then obtained warrants for the dealers' arrests and executed
them over a 20-hour blitz wrapping up yesterday.

"We weren't expecting to clear the streets of drugs," he said. "What
we're trying to do is clear the streets of drug traffickers."

All of the suspects are charged with a single trafficking count with
some facing additional charges.

Robinson said most dealers were moving rock cocaine and a few were
nabbed for pushing heroin.