NUNAVUT RCMP BUSY WITH IQALUIT DRUG BUSTS

Recent arrests show drugs and money moving in Baffin.

Suspected Baffin pot peddlers working out of Iqaluit have been feeling the
long arm of the law recently.

In five separate incidents since Oct. 24, RCMP officers have arrested five
people in possession of large amounts of either drugs or money.

The RCMP only released details of the string of the arrests to the media on
Nov. 6.

"We've just been so busy we didn't have time to do the press releases as
each thing was unfolding," said Cpl. Ken Goodine of the Nunavut drug section.

There are two full-time drug officers in Iqaluit, and other help if needed.

Most illegal drugs arriving in the Baffin region come through Iqaluit.
Officials guess about 85-90 per cent of Nunavut's pot consumption takes
place here, even though the city has only about 20 per cent of the
territory's population.

Goodine said these recent drug arrests aren't out of the ordinary in terms
of the dollars and amount of drugs involved.

"I don't think it's unusual. I think it's just an indication of the amount
of drugs and money that are moving around," he said.

Arrests Made

After a four-month investigation, RCMP officers arrested an Iqaluit
resident Oct. 24 in relation to a previous seizure of about one pound of
marijuana in Cape Dorset.

Police charged 46-year-old Michel Caron with trafficking in a controlled
substance. The street value of the drug in Cape Dorset is estimated at
about $30,000.

Caron will appear in court Jan. 7. The investigation is continuing and more
charges are expected.

On Oct. 31, officers arrested 19-year-old Kevin Harper outside the Snack
restaurant, where they had received information that a man was selling drugs.

He is also scheduled to appear in court Jan. 7.

One of the main reasons the territory's capital is such a hotbed of drug
activity is its close proximity to major centres like Montreal and Ottawa.

To bring drugs into Baffin, or money out, it's often necessary to go
through Iqaluit's airport.

After receiving a tip, members of the RCMP's Nunavut drug section arrested
Davidee Newkingak of Qikiqtarjuaq near the Iqaluit airport on Oct. 31.

Newkingak was carrying $11,250 in cash, which police believe may have come
from the sale of illegal drugs.

Drugs Bring Big Bucks

Drugs bring big money into the North. In Ontario, a pound of marijuana,
divided into smaller quantities for re-sale, would sell for between $1,500
and $5,000.

In Iqaluit, officials estimate that a pound can be sold for up to $25,000.

Officers also arrested two teenagers in unrelated incidents at the Iqaluit
airport Nov. 2, and seized a quantity of marijuana with a street value of
about $61,500.

RCMP arrested a 16-year-old Iqaluit resident after the youth got off a
flight from Ottawa with more than one kilogram of marijuana in his
possession. The pot had a street value of about $54,000.

Because of the youth's age, a name cannot be released, but he will appear
in court Jan. 7 on charges of possession of a controlled substance for the
purpose of trafficking.

RCMP also arrested a 19-year-old Kimmirut man at the airport before he
boarded a flight to his home community.

Killiktee Padluq was carrying more than 100 grams of marijuana. That amount
of pot would have a street value of more than $7,500. Padluq will appear in
court Jan. 25.

Goodine encouraged people to continue calling the RCMP with tips and
information about people who deal drugs.

"That's how a lot of what we're able to have success with this is people
willing to give us information and be of assistance that way," he said.