Pubdate: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: #250, 4990-92 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6B 3A1 Canada Fax: (780) 468-0139 Website: http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonSun/ Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/home.html Author: CP DRUG SWEEP BAGS 63 YELLOWKNIFE -- A year-long police investigation that spread over two provinces and the Northwest Territories has resulted in the North's largest drug bust. Police made 63 arrests and laid 153 charges after pre-dawn raids yesterday in Yellowknife, Edmonton and Calgary, as well as Parry Sound and Scarborough in Ontario. The charges include selling cocaine, marijuana and MDA (an amphetamine) as well as weapons offences that include selling handguns. "We didn't target users, but rather the highest-level traffickers we could find," said Sgt. Dave Grundy of Yellowknife RCMP. Grundy said the arrests have destroyed two separate organized crime groups in the North. He emphasized none had links to outlaw biker gangs, but wouldn't comment on links to any other organized crime groups from the south. "They're just people," he said of the arrested suspects. "They make friends, they start off and they go from there." Although police seized only small amounts of drugs, the raids did yield $500,000 in cash and $250,000 in items such as vehicles, carvings and jewelry believed to be proceeds of crime. About 150 RCMP officers and three police dogs from British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan were involved in the investigation and raids. - --- MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer