Pubdate: Tue, 24 Apr 2007
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Frank Peebles
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

CRACK SHACKS TARGETED

RCMP have been cracking down on the local drug scene in  recent 
weeks, executing seven search warrants in the  past 16 days, all 
against alleged crack shacks.

Prince George RCMP Sgt. Tom Bethune said the searches  are becoming 
increasingly dangerous for police and  innocent neighbours.

For the second time in less than a week, Mounties  needed extreme 
forced entry techniques to gain access  to one of the homes they 
raided, the latest in the 2200  block of Quince Street on Friday evening.

"Heavily armed police and the Emergency Response Team  were forced to 
enter the residence through the second  story of the house," Bethune 
said. "The main floor was  heavily barricaded, denying police and 
intruders  entry."

Eleven people were arrested in the basement while a  15-year-old boy 
was taken into custody on an upper  floor.

"This is the second search within the last two weeks  that a child 
has been arrested for trafficking and  responsible for a crack 
shack," Bethune said.

It is also the second time in recent days that police  have found a 
hole between floors at the drug houses  used to exchange money and 
drugs. The customers are  confined to the lower floor while the drugs 
are held in  the upper storey by dealers. The dealers are not 
seen  by the customers below, and it is harder for rival  crooks to 
burst in and rip off the money and drugs. It  also buys the crooks in 
the house time to hide their  stash if the police raid the building.

This is another indication, Bethune indicated, that  organized crime 
is running local crack shacks.

Bethune said the bulk of this activity is conducted by  a group 
called The Crew, which is overseen by the Hells  Angels.
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