Pubdate: Wed, 20 Jan 2016
Source: Journal-Pioneer, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2016 Journal-Pioneer
Contact:  http://www.journalpioneer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2789
Author: Nancy MacPhee
Page: A1

SPEED BUMP

Methamphetamine the main focus of Prince District JFO Drug Unit

At first glance, they look like candy.

In a small plastic bag, there are almost 500 tablets, similar in size
and shape to PEZ candy.

But what's inside that bag, marked as evidence, is highly addictive, a
drug that, said Cpl. Andy Cooke, the head of the Prince District Joint
Forces Operation Drug Unit, has become its primary focus.

"Almost 75 per cent of the targets we are working on right now are
related to speed," said Cooke. "Almost every single person we are
investigating is linked into these in some fashion."

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During his time with the unit, the drug has been present in Prince
County, but in small amounts.

In the last six months or so that has changed.

Opioids - prescription drugs such as Oxycontin, Dilaudid and morphine
- - were once the unit's primary concern.

"This past year our seizures of opioids went way down," said Cooke. "I
don't attribute that to anything that we did. I attribute that to
methadone and an increase in persons in the methadone program. People
on the street say the same thing."

Now, users and dealers have turned to methamphetamines. Speed. Crank.
Ice.

"When methadone first came in we were seeing an increase in crack and
cocaine. Lately, it has been more the speed," said Cooke. "And, as of
the last month or so, we've heard talk about crystal meth."

Speed is cheap, selling on the street for about $5 to $6 a
tablet.

The illicit drug, which has no medicinal application, is produced in
"clandestine labs," with speed sold on P.E.I. streets coming from
Quebec via New Brunswick.

Its pushers are low-to-mid-level street dealers, many already known to
police.

"We do have probably five or six in this area... that bring in larger
amounts, say 1,000 batches," said Cooke. "They are paying $3 to $4 a
pill, even less. It is not a huge investment and there is big profit
to be made."

There have been recent arrests involving speed, the number of which is
not available.

"This one is from last year," said Cooke, a bag of pills in hand.
"There are 499 ice pills. It is from a seizure we made at the
(Confederation) bridge last year. That has been our biggest seizure of
the drug."

There are known dealers as young as teens. Many of the dealers have
previous drug involvement and are known to police.

"In the drug world you inevitably recycle your drug dealers," he said.
"They may go dormant for a number of years and come back. The market
dictates what is going to be sold out there."

The unit, headed by Cooke with two RCMP constables, a Summerside
police constable and a part-time constable from Kensington, has all
its efforts into combating speed trafficking.

"You don't necessarily have to arrest them for this to deal with them.
We've taken other steps, being creative, so to speak, with our
investigations.

"Some of the people we have information on, we may target them for
something else. If you can get someone off the street, whether it be
for a weapon or anything, then that is just as good as getting them
for this," said Cooke.

"We'll get them any legal way we can."
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MAP posted-by: Matt