Pubdate: Wed, 02 Jun 2004 Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2004 The Daily Herald-Tribune Contact: http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) GANG ACTIVITY ON THE RISE IN GP: RCMP Asian gangs are spreading their "tentacles" out from Alberta's major cities and trying to take a piece of Grande Prairie's lucrative drug trade, say law-enforcement officials. A number of "significant" cocaine busts by Mounties in the city over the past few months have been traced back to Asian organized crime groups, said Staff Sgt. Curtis Zablocki of the Grande Prairie RCMP. "Recently we've made some arrests in connection to drug trafficking activity and we've determined these people are from larger centres... and are linked to organized crime in those areas," said Zablocki. Gary Buss, operations manager for the Criminal Intelligence Service of Alberta, said it's no secret Asian gangs have been branching out of larger cities into communities like Grande Prairie. "The Asian organized crime groups that operate in the major cities have definitely spread their tentacles," he said, adding that cities like Fort McMurray and Lethbridge are also likely targets for their expansion. "This has been going on for a while. Certainly it is true the groups have been looking at these communities." CISA named Asian organized crime groups as the "most violent" in the province in its 2003-2004 annual report, citing murders and assaults in Calgary and Edmonton. Asian gangs are involved in a range of criminal activities, including drug-trafficking, theft, robbery, extortion, loan-sharking, and large-scale financial frauds, said Buss. They dominate street-level cocaine sales in Alberta's urban centres with a distribution network that is "second to none," according to the CISA report. Buss also estimated that about 80 per cent of marijuana grow operations in Northern Alberta are under the control of Asian gangs. And unlike notorious, high-profile groups like the Hells Angels, Asian gangs tend to keep a lower profile. Police usually identify the gangs by the names of their leaders, which they don't share with the public, said Buss. Zablocki added that Asian gangs are often smaller than other organized crime groups, and harder to identify. "Some of the Asian gangs are on a smaller scale and aren't as well known and present themselves in a lower key or lower-level format. They're smaller groups," he said. Though violence has erupted in Edmonton and Calgary during clashes between rival Asian gangs - including drive-by shootings and murders - Buss said he doesn't see that happening in Grande Prairie any time soon. "Because everything is relatively new there... maybe the level of violence we've seen won't happen," he said. Organized crime groups could have several reasons for wanting to expand their drug networks out of the big cities and into the Peace Country. "There is a viable market for the commodity they're involved with... It also might be a case of less competition than in larger centres," said Zablocki. "Organized crime is certainly attracted to economically strong communities." Police here have so far found a link between Asian gangs and the drug trade, but it's also likely they'll take advantage of other opportunities for criminal activity in the region. "These groups will also diversify their activities and commodities to take advantage of the opportunities in this and outlying communities." said Zablocki. Asian gangs aren't the only organized crime group authorities think have their sights set on the Peace Country. Aboriginal street gangs are also believed to be operating in the region, said Zablocki, involved in a counterfeiting operation as well as street-level violence and drug-trafficking. The Hells Angels have had a local presence for years according to RCMP, which the CISA said the gang is looking to expand. For the second year in a row, the CISA's report named Grande Prairie - along with Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge - as one of the major areas of expansion for the motorcycle gang. While he wouldn't get into specifics of any activities police believe are linked to biker gangs locally, Zablocki said historically outlaw biker groups tend to get involved in a wide range of criminal enterprises. "With outlaw motorcycle gangs you often see drug-trafficking, possibly weapons trafficking. "Some organized crime groups are into credit card fraud, identity theft, money laundering," he said, adding that police don't believe any outlaw bikers have set up a headquarters in the city yet. "There is a local presence of outlaw motorcycle gang activity in Grande Prairie. We're certainly not home base to a chapter of outlaw motorcycle gang activity, but there is some presence here." Despite the arrival of a new criminal element, a turf war between bikers and Asian gangs is still unlikely. Rather, the Hells Angels seem to have a cordial "business" arrangement with other criminal groups in Alberta, said Buss. Though any underworld truce can be broken as quickly as it's made, he added. "(Violence) is always a potential when you have organized crime gangs vying for turf. Right now I don't think it will happen there in the near future." - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D