RCMP take $120,000 worth of coke off streets
A three-week undercover operation by the Whitehorse RCMP drug section resulted in six arrests and the seizure of more than 26 ounces of cocaine Wednesday.
A three-week undercover operation by the Whitehorse RCMP drug section resulted in six arrests and the seizure of more than 26 ounces of cocaine Wednesday.
"Project Miner" was aimed at busting local dealers and traffickers who had been identified through various means, RCMP spokesman Sgt. Mark Groves said today.
The police used tips from the public, information gathered by their Street Crime Reduction team, undercover officers who actually purchased the drugs and the work of a criminal analyst, he said.
A criminal analyst, Groves explained, is a civilian employee of the force who takes information gained by the police and "formulates a tree, per se, of who is involved in these activities."
The operation identified 10 dealers in total, according to an RCMP press release issued today.
Groves said warrants are pending for the remaining four.
The investigation also led police to a Whitehorse residence where officers seized more than 26 ounces of cocaine, worth well over $100,000 on the street.
The drugs were already separated into half-gram units, Groves said, ready to be sold. The search of another residence turned up a smaller amount of marijuana and drug trafficking paraphernalia.
"There were over 1,500 units seized," he said.
The current street value of a half-gram of cocaine is $80, according to Groves, which would put the bust at more than $120,000.
Groves said this bust will likely drive up the price of cocaine.
"We have an influence on that," he said. "Today, that price will probably fluctuate."
All those arrested are adults, he said, but their names are not being released.
Most have drug-related charges already on their records, said Groves, and at least two had been in the RCMP's sights for a while as "priority targets."
"They're from all over the ladder," Groves said of whether those arrested are low-level dealers or big-time traffickers.
"A lot are repeat offenders. The other four are known to police," he added.
"Quite often, these people are transient; it's just a matter of catching up to them."
All six were due to appear in court at 1 p.m. today.
Comments (9)
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Unbelievable!! on Dec 27, 2008 at 6:13 am
Bobby Bitman: I'm sure that Francias Pilman can speak for himself...no need to hold his hand.
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In Agreement on Dec 26, 2008 at 5:53 am
I too am growing very tired of Pillman's very negative point of view day after day, article after article.
Merry Christmas, start the new year with positivity!
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Bobby Bitman on Dec 24, 2008 at 5:50 am
Hey, did anybody notice that the Whitehorse Star has apparently agreed to host 'ads by Google', and the advertisements attached to this story say, "Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth, X. Drug charges require special care. Our Experienced Lawyers Can Help."
What the???
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Bobby Bitman on Dec 24, 2008 at 5:47 am
No need to get abusive 'Unbelievable'. Everyone is entitled to their point of view, including Francias. That is the idea behind forums. You could have made your point of view known respectfully, as Francias did, without the personal insults.
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Unbelievable!! on Dec 20, 2008 at 9:32 am
Francias Pillman...with all due respect,after reading your numerous dilusional comments and ridiculous thought patterns on this public forum,I am beginning to wonder if perhaps you're the one on drugs.The RCMP are here to protect and serve and they are doing a exceptional job at that.
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vonPaulus on Dec 19, 2008 at 3:42 pm
So what should we do Francias? NOT remove illegal drugs from the street? People with these addictions need help. They don't need to be enabled to continue their habbit.
Good work on the bust, kudos to the RCMP!
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Arn Anderson on Dec 19, 2008 at 6:48 am
RCMP did their job, now its for the liberal court system to stand up and do some stiffer sentencing, if its in judges blood.
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Francias Pillman on Dec 18, 2008 at 5:23 pm
The sad thing about this is it will increase crime. Busts don't stop addicts from getting high. Increased street prices will increase theft and other small crimes so people can feed their habits. On the surface it looks good, but you are contributing to a problem that will never go away, no matter how many busts you make. I would rather let an addict get high then break into my home.
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Janice O on Dec 18, 2008 at 12:19 pm
cheers for the RCMP and the people involved. This is a message that drugs are not tolerated in the yukon. Its a great start, and im looking forward to more drugs and dealers being removed off the street