OPP MAKE BIG BUST

TILLSONBURG - A nine-month probe of the drug trade in Oxford and Elgin
counties that ended yesterday with the seizure of more than $700,000 worth
of narcotics is being hailed as "one of the most successful in these parts"
by the OPP.

Three officers acted as buyers during the investigation, purchasing about
$400,000 worth of illegal drugs in Bayham Township in Elgin County,
Tillsonburg, Woodstock, Ingersoll, Strathroy, Brantford, Simcoe,
Hagersville, Cambridge, Beamsville, Grimsby and London.

Police seized another $300,000 worth of drugs in nine area searches - four
yesterday and five last week - Det. Supt. Jim Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson said he was "surprised, and a little taken aback" at the amount
of drugs being peddled on the streets of communities such as Tillsonburg,
Woodstock, Ingersoll, Simcoe and Strathroy.

"I am dismayed to say this is the quantity and type of drugs we are seeing
in small communities."

The largest purchase made by undercover police was 453 grams of cocaine,
which indicated a "high level of trafficking," he said.

"There is a lot of money in this area and a lot of money to be made."

As of yesterday, police had arrested 25 people in connection with the busts,
and issued arrest warrants for another 11 accused.

Police said they did not find any links to organized crime or a major drug
ring in their investigation.

"(But) there is no doubt that when dealing with this quantity they are not
too far away," he said.

Hutchinson said the majority of the people involved in the criminal activity
are from the local area and that the 9.5 kilograms of marijuana that was
seized was likely grown in the area.

More than half the drug purchases during the last nine months were made at
the Country Camping campground in Bayham Township in Elgin County and the
Imperial Hotel in Tillsonburg, police said.

The raid on a government subsidized housing unit on Carroll Street in
Ingersoll, around 7 a.m. came as a surprise to local residents.

Dave Foster, who lives across the street from the unit, said he had heard
there was a drug dealer in the building but had never seen any suspicious
activity.

"It's not as if there are a whole bunch of people that hang out there, just
in and out." he said.

The news of the arrests surprised one Tillsonburg woman who moved to her
husband's hometown for a wholesome place to raise their children.

"I am surprised about that," said Tamara Bull, who grew up in Whitby.

"We've chosen to raise our kids here because we thought it would be better
than the Toronto area."

But another woman who grew up in Tillsonburg said she was not so shocked.

"I'm not surprised at all," said Tabatha Couse, walking with her
two-year-old son. "I don't do that stuff, but it's a small town and there's
not much else to do here."

The 25 people arrested yesterday live in more than a dozen southwestern
Ontario communities.

- - with files from Sun Media