Pubdate: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2000 The Province Contact: 200 Granville Street, Ste. #1, Vancouver, BC V6C 3N3 Canada Fax: (604) 605-2323 Website: http://www.vancouverprovince.com/ Author: Jason Proctor, staff reporter COPS RIDE THE RAILS Traffickers Facing Arrest As Police Units Execute Warrants Along SkyTrain Uniformed, armed police officers from four different Lower Mainland municipalities will start riding SkyTrain this morning in a united effort to plug jurisdictional cracks that have made the rapid-transit system a haven for drug dealers. Yesterday, the same officers who will be riding the rails today were busy familiarizing themselves with their new duties by rounding up the suspects. Police admit many of the accused may make bail and may start dealing again - -- but they'll find SkyTrain a much less friendly working environment. "We know who they are, and they'll be arrested and returned to jail," said Surrey RCMP Supt. Al MacIntyre. "Sometimes, it's the first go-around, and sometimes it's the second go-around and sometimes the third. We're all playing on the same team here." In the past, police departments in Surrey, Vancouver, New Westminster and Burnaby have watched, frustrated, as dealers move from town to town with each successive crackdown. At a press conference held yesterday to announce the results of a joint operation between the four departments, Vancouver police Chief Const. Terry Blythe said authorities are confident they can tackle the problem by working together. "The common criminal has no boundaries." said Blythe. "This has been a collective operation and has been very successful." "This kind of initiative is in anticipation of a more formal working agreement." Yesterday's announcement was the culmination of a plan that began in November after persistent complaints about dealers from communities up and down the SkyTrain line. Many of the accused were refugee claimants, playing the system while police could do little but bust them, watch them make bail and move a little farther down the line -- some openly taunting officers as they did so. RCMP from Burnaby and Surrey agreed to look at a joint solution to the problem together with the New Westminster and Vancouver municipal police forces, the immigration department, the federal Crown, TransLink and the provincial attorney-general's office. The joint force conducted a month-long undercover operation, which ended last week. As a result, police identified 157 suspects facing a total of 236 drug-related charges. Forty per cent are refugee claimants, and 104 of the accused are from Vancouver. Blythe said SkyTrain was the main form of transport for about two-thirds of the suspects. Another 30 per cent were using the bus system. But citing concerns about an ongoing investigation, police refused to give any information about the recruiting process, drug suppliers or the links that may exist between the accused. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst