Pubdate: Tue, 31 May 2005 Source: Whitehorse Star (CN YK) Copyright: 2005 Whitehorse Star Contact: http://www.whitehorsestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1493 Author: Kelly-Anne Riess Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) POLICE DOG ASSISTS WITH DRUG SEIZURE Approximately 225 pounds (101 kilograms) of marijuana were seized by RCMP from a vehicle headed into Whitehorse over the weekend. It is the largest drug seizure in the Yukon's history, Sgt. Guy Rook said at a news conference this morning. "The marijuana seized equates to 33,000 to 55,000 joints taken off the streets," said Rook. Early Friday afternoon, RCMP stopped a suspicious north-bound vehicle on the Alaska Highway, south of Whitehorse, where police officers detained two passengers and seized the vehicle. Justice, a police dog, helped officers search the vehicle and found the marijuana hidden in a secret compartment in a snowmobile deck. Police seized the drugs and dumped them into six garbage bags that are now being kept in a very potent-smelling police garage. This morning in the garage, a very proud Justice, a police veteran with seven years of experience, posed for cameras in front of the six bags of pot. Justice's last big drug bust was a few years ago when he found two kilograms of cocaine. "He gets an extra couple of Milk-Bones," said Cpl. Rod Hamilton, Justice's handler, about the dog's reward for making such a big bust. "We're used daily to assist in investigations," said Hamilton. He said Justice does everything from searching vehicles or tracking down suspects. The dog is trained to indicate certain types of narcotics. As a result, the two men from Squamish, B.C. are charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking. Kurtis Ray Croy, 33, and Kyle MacDonald-Wolochatiuk, 30, were scheduled to make a court appearance this afternoon. Drugs shipped to the Yukon are a result of an integrated network of organized crime, said Rook. "These activities are profit-driven. We aren't immune to that in the Yukon. Generally, organized crime is based in southern jurisdictions, but their activities reach us here," said Rook. "As the Yukon is on the cusp of economic growth, organized criminals see that as an opportunity as well." Rook said the marijuana was likely grown in B.C. The police sergeant did not want to speculate as to which organized crime group the marijuana was linked. In another unrelated drug bust last weekend in Dawson City, police seized 83 grams of cocaine, a small amount of marijuana, more than $5,000 in cash and some drug trafficking paraphernalia. The 83 grams translates into 118 hits of cocaine, said RCMP. That bust was the result of the police issuing two search warrants on three local residences. As a result of a police investigation, a Dawson City man, Denis Roland Sevigny, 45, was charged with one count of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of property obtained by crime, Christopher John Peterson, 34, another Dawson man, was charged with one count of possession of marijuana. Robert Kevin Lowe, 32, a man with no fixed address, was charged with two counts of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Lowe and Sevigny were remanded in custody and were to appear in court yesterday. Peterson was released and will appear in a Dawson court on July 26. The cocaine samples are awaiting testing to determine their purity. "Those who traffic illicit drugs make a profit while simultaneously destroying lives, homes and communities," said Rook, adding he believes the RCMP are making a real difference to Yukoners by cracking down on drugs. The arrests confirm the RCMP's commitment to maintain public safety by targeting drug dealers, said Rook. "Drugs are not only a police problem. They are a community problem," he said. Rook said public information is needed to help RCMP battle the Yukon's drug problems. He urged people to contact police of any suspicious activities they might see. "In implementing Canada's drug strategy, the RCMP's primary focus is to reduce the supply of and demand for illicit drugs in the Yukon," said Rook. "We hope that a reduction in the supply of drugs will foster an environment in which drug abuse prevention programs here in the Yukon will flourish." The trafficking and importing of drugs are an indictable offence where a person can receive a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The RCMP did not want to give the dollar-value of the drugs, because they do not want to show the drug market as profitable. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth