COPS BUST-UP ECSTASY RING

Four Mississaugans Face Charges In U.S.

Four Mississauga men believed to be big players and middle men in an
ecstasy-selling ring will face charges in the U.S. after more than $700,000
worth of ecstasy was seized in an investigation that concluded violently in
a Toronto hotel room.

The Peel Regional Police Morality Bureau arrested two Montreal men Sunday
at the Hilton on Richmond St. when they tried to sell 10,000 ecstasy pills
to an undercover officer.

During the arrest, police said one of the men tried to reach for his
.45-calibre handgun.

"If these guys were ready to use a gun on police officers, could you
imagine what they would do to just a regular Joe?" said Inspector John
Nielsen of the Morality Bureau. "They're carrying firearms to protect their
investment."

Nielsen added the gun was loaded with bullets strong enough to penetrate
through an officer's bullet-proof vest.

Further investigation led police to a Mississauga residence, where they
arrested another man in his parents' home.

Police believe through the six-month investigation into the trafficking of
ecstasy from Canada to the U.S., which also involved officers from the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
in Miami, that ecstasy was either produced or imported in Quebec, sold to
buyers in Mississauga, and then exported to Florida and sold in the
American market.

Baljinderpal Thind, 33, of Wilcox Rd., is awaiting extradition to the U.S.
for charges of conspiracy to import and traffic ecstasy.

Meanwhile, Donavon Brown, 30, of Duford Dr., Andre Iskander, 26, of Owl
Cir., and Christopher Martin, 25, of Corfu Rd., are already in custody in
Florida facing trafficking charges.

"We've taken off a major exporting ring," Nielsen said. "There were several
big players and middle men involved that were key to keeping this operation
going."

In total, 33,000 tabs of ecstasy were seized with a street value of $720,000.

"It's a profit-driven business that is getting violent," Nielsen said.
"These sellers are ready to inflict harm on anyone who gets in their way
because they stand to lose so much money."

But, importing ecstasy into the U.S. from Canada is nothing new to U.S. police.

"We are seeing more and more of this here -- drugs being sold that
originate from Canada," said Special Agent Kerry Evans of the DEA in Miami.
"The better dollar here is a huge factor."

Known as a designer drug, ecstasy produces a strong sense of pleasure and
feelings of euphoria, but it can interfere with the body's ability to
regulate temperature and can sometimes result in death.

The drug is suspected in the death of Nicole Malik, 17, who collapsed
Saturday morning while visiting Toronto.

Its popularity has grown immensely in the last few years, namely among
youths who attend raves.