PARENT OF CALGARY BOY CARRYING COCAINE DON'T WANT HIM BACK SAYS ALTA
MINISTER

CALGARY - The parent of an eight-year-old boy involved in a crack cocaine
deal doesn't want the child back, Alberta Children's Services Minister Iris
Evans said Wednesday. The boy and his siblings were taken into emergency
care Tuesday after police nabbed him holding crack cocaine for a drug
dealer during a recent downtown bust, Calgary police said.

"The parent has indicted that the children can stay with us," Evans said.

Police arrested a male adult suspect. The boy is not related to the man but
both were living together in a downtown apartment.

Evans said the parent seems to have chosen the boarder over his three
children - the eight-year-old, a six-year-old boy and a girl, 4.

"What we're being told is that the boarder has to stay there because of the
rent," Evan said.

"Obviously a choice is being made that supports the boarder in the home.
The parent knows that with the boarder in the home, the children cannot
come back."

Evans said the apartment was outrageously inappropriate for children.

"From all reports, people in the building are nervous about drugs, the
finding of bullets within the home itself. Neighbours (are) unwilling to
talk about it because they're so fearful of retribution.

"In this kind of environment there's no place for a child."

The three children are now in emergency foster care. Children's services
officials will appear in court Thursday to ask a judge for temporary
guardianship.

Although doctors have yet to examine the children, Evans said the foster
parents found they exhibited no symptoms of drug use.

"The children all appeared to respond like normal, healthy children," she said.

No charges have been laid against the parent, but the police investigation
is ongoing.

Members of Calgary's police bike unit were on patrol when they saw an
alleged drug deal.

It's common for drug sellers to make the cash deal, then point the buyer in
the direction of a second person, the one holding the dope, said Staff Sgt.
Roger Chaffin.

Evans said the boy was evasive with police, which may suggest he's already
being groomed for crime.

"He appeared to be giving responses that were more street-wise than he
should be at eight. I think the concern is that boy and his siblings could
well have been receiving a very early indoctrination into crime.

It's one of the worst instances of child abuse she's seen, said Evans.

"This is a propagation of a child to enter a life of crime, no different
that child prostitution. It's subjugating a child to do work that is of a
criminal mind."

Kieng Nhuan Tran, 26, has been charged with two counts of possession of
drugs for the purpose of trafficking and one count of breach of
recognizance. Tran was freed from jail on bail on Monday.

He will be back in court Sept. 16.