Pubdate: Fri, 13 Mar 2009
Source: Times & Transcript (Moncton, CN NK)
Copyright: 2009 New Brunswick Publishing Company
Contact:  http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2660
Page: A1
Author: Craig Babstock

DRUGS, GUNS GO HAND IN HAND

Eastern N.B. RCMP Say Firearms A Big Part Of Booming Drug Trade

Kent RCMP Sgt. Darrell Marchand recalls that many years ago, his 
detachment had a wall set aside in the evidence room for firearms.

Seized rifles and guns would be hung on pegs on the wall until they 
were needed for court, returned to their owners or forfeited and 
destroyed. These days, things are a little more crowded.

"Right now in the bond room I have two walls full (of firearms), plus 
one wall in another bond room," says Marchand, a 35-year police 
veteran set to retire in April. "And that doesn't count the firearms 
that are on the shelves."

Marchand attributes some of the seizures to changes in firearms 
regulations over the years. These days, gun owners need to have their 
rifles and guns properly registered and securely stored or they can 
be charged with a criminal offence. That results in police seizing 
more firearms.

But a more disturbing reason for the increase in guns seized is the 
fact they are popular among drug traffickers and the drug trade is 
booming in New Brunswick. Marchand says police are seeing more and 
more drug cases these days.

"Any time we search for drugs, a good part of the time we'll find 
firearms, especially with drug traffickers," says Marchand. "They're 
not the cream of society. They deal in drugs and people get ripped 
off and debts need to be paid."

Marchand says there's no easy explanation why police are seeing more 
drug cases these days other than the fact it's a lucrative business.

"It doesn't take much effort to have a little grow-op outside," says 
the sergeant.

A look at J Division RCMP's website backs Marchand's claim that the 
drug trade in New Brunswick is a busy one and police are battling 
hard against it. Since the beginning of February there have been news 
releases posted relating to 15 different drug cases from every corner 
of the province. Many of the drug seizures also involved the seizure 
of firearms.

Caledonia RCMP Sgt. Maurice Comeau says in his 20 years on the job, 
he doesn't think there's been an increase in the use of firearms in 
general. But he agrees with Marchand that there is more drug activity 
these days and that means more firearms in the hands of criminals.

"I think the drug problem has gotten bigger, so we do see more 
firearms being seized when we do raids and we do more of those now," 
says Comeau. "In that way we are seeing more firearms when we're 
dealing with drugs."

Sometimes the firearms are seized during drug raids on homes, other 
times they're actually used during the commission of a crime. Last 
September in Bouctouche, shots were fired at two different houses 
four days apart. Police made arrests and the matter was believed to 
be connected with the drug trade.

This week's shooting death in Shediac and home invasion in Moncton 
with shots fired have so far not been tied to the drug trade, but 
Marchand says drugs and gun crime have become so linked, many people 
will jump to that conclusion before the facts are in.

While police seize the occasional handgun, it's most often rifles and 
shotguns that are seized in drug raids because they are more easy to 
come by. Those firearms are not often registered. "The people we 
search for drugs don't register their guns," says Comeau.

When asked if the national firearms registry is helping keep guns off 
the street, Comeau says it's a big asset when police are responding 
to a call at a residence and need to know if there are registered 
firearms inside. But when dealing with drug traffickers, it's 
unlikely they would follow firearms regulations.

"No matter what registry you have in place, criminals are not going 
to register firearms, so it doesn't make a difference," says Comeau.

When police seize firearms used in a crime, they try to trace the 
serial numbers to find out where they came from and if they're 
stolen. They also check them against unsolved crimes involving shots 
fired to see if there's a match.

When firearms are ordered forfeited by the court, they are handed 
over to New Brunswick's chief firearms officer for destruction.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart