Pubdate: Wed, 29 Jun 2005
Source: Walkerton Herald Times, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Metroland, SouthWesternOntario.ca
Contact:  http://www.metroland.com/sw/news/walkerton/
Author: Christine Brandt
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raids.htm (Drug Raids)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

ILLEGAL DRUGS, FIREARMS AND CASH SEIZED

Sweeping Drug Raid Nets 38 Arrests

Thirty-eight people were arrested by the Ontario Provincial Police's
drug enforcement section (DES) last Thursday during a massive raid
spanning four counties.

Seventy-six police officers from South Bruce, Bruce Peninsula, Grey,
Huron and Perth Counties seized $614,000 worth of drugs, firearms and
cash after executing nine Controlled Drug and Substance Act search
warrants in towns such as Walkerton, Exeter, Goderich and Stratford.

A total of 227 drug and criminal code charges were laid, and 11
additional warrants have been issued for the arrest of individuals
police could not locate.

Det. Sgt. Brett Mailloux of the DES said the raid was the culmination
of a 13-month undercover investigation into illicit drug activity in
Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth Counties.

According to Mailloux, police concentrated their efforts on
street-level and mid-level methamphetamine traffickers.

"I am very happy with this investigation," he said. "I'm not saying
this is the end of methamphetamine use, but this is a significant
seizure. We feel we've taken into custody some of the dealers who are
high on the food chain."

Among the list of items seized by police were 1,680 grams of
methamphetamine, 130 grams of cocaine, 17,709 grams of marijuana, 80
marijuana plants, 98 oxycodene pills, 62 ecstasy pills, over $7,800 in
cash, and five weapons.

Mailloux said Thursday's raid was one of the largest in the region in
the last five years.

"The OPP is committed to battling the illegal methamphetamine trade,
and this is one of the examples of the great lengths we'll go to," he
said.

Det. Staff Sgt. Patricia Dobbin, who oversees the operations of the
DES, said undercover officers were able to buy up to a pound of
methamphetamine at a time from some of the accused.

"Meth is a lucrative business," she said. "Although a wide variety of
drugs were seized, the main focus (of the raid) was geared to the
insurgence of methamphetamine use and abuse in this area."

Det. Staff Sgt. Al Robertson, who works for the OPP's Western Region
crime unit, said the amount of drugs seized wasn't the most important
part of the day.

"This investigation has managed to take 38 drug dealers off the
street. That's huge," he said.

During the raid, the OPP's Clandestine Laboratory Investigative
Response Team's (CLIRT) mobile unit was on-hand, but officers did not
come across a single meth lab. Mailloux said labs are difficult to
locate, mainly because the equipment needed to manufacture meth is
both small and portable.

Nevertheless, Mailloux said the raid went a long way towards cleaning
up the streets of Brockton.

Dobbin agreed.

"The social impact that this drug creates can be devastating to
society," she said. "It is anticipated that the arrests and seizures
will assist in combating the problems (in the area)."
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin