Pubdate: Tue, 24 Mar 2009
Source: Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, CN NK)
Copyright: 2009 Brunswick News Inc.
Contact: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/onsite.php?page=contact
Website: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2878
Page: A1
Author: Adam Huras

RCMP BOOST EFFORTS TO STOP INFLUX OF DRUG

MONCTON - The number of seizures in New Brunswick of the drug 
methamphetamine has doubled in the past year, RCMP say.

RCMP officers on Monday displayed quantities of methamphetamine, 
commonly known as "meth", seized in the province over the past few years.

Compared to the rest of the country, New Brunswick still remains 
relatively clean from the addicting drug since no production labs 
have been discovered, the Mounties say, and they want to keep it that way.

"What we are seeing in pockets across Canada are problems with 
methamphetamine," MacNeil said. "We want to keep it low (in the 
province); we do not want methamphetamines to come in here, but that 
being said, there are pockets in New Brunswick that have been 
affected by this drug."

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive, chemically produced drug that 
can produce effects such as exhaustion, depression, mental confusion, 
restlessness and insomnia.

MacNeil said that the New Brunswick RCMP recently completed a study 
in the province to determine drug use levels. While the results 
showed New Brunswick to have lower levels of the drug than other 
areas of Canada, the numbers were still on the rise.

The number of meth seizures jumped to 90 in 2008 from roughly 45 in 2007.

Sgt. Dan Nowlan of the Bathurst and Edmundston Regional Drug Unit 
said that his region has become the Maritimes gateway for the drugs.

"We have seen, for the past several years, several different 
organized crime groups supply methamphetamine to New Brunswick," he 
said. "Most of these crime groups have been identified (as being) 
from Quebec and have been filtering their product into the province.

"Definitely the Edmundston area, the (Trans-Canada Highway), is a 
pipeline for most of the province of New Brunswick and the other 
Maritime provinces."

The increase has prompted the Mounties to instruct its officers on 
prevention and education measures, said Sgt. Mary Ann MacNeil of the 
RCMP Drug and Organized Crime Awareness Services.

Nowlan said the province's Synthetic Drug Operations Unit recently 
invited forensic drug expert Wayne Jeffery, a former police officer 
from Vancouver, to instruct an Expert Witness Workshop for RCMP 
members in Moncton.

"New Brunswick doesn't have a major problem with methamphetamine and 
it is with this course, through education of the police, that the 
message can then say this is a dangerous drug, here is why it's 
dangerous," Jeffery said.
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