Source: Toronto Star (Canada)
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Pubdate: Wed, 27 May 1998
Author: Bob Mitchell and Josh Brown - Toronto Star Staff Reporters

14 YOUTHS ARRESTED IN OAKVILLE DRUG BUST

Officer posed as student in high school sting

An Oakville high school has been rocked by a drug scandal after 14 students
were busted in an undercover operation.

A 25-year-old undercover officer, posing as a student at General Wolfe High
School, allegedly bought drugs from students during the past two months.

Police said these included marijuana, hashish and psilocybin, also known as
magic mushrooms.

The technical high school, located just off Trafalgar Rd. north of the
Queen Elizabeth Way, is just down the street from the Oakville detachment
of Halton Region police.

``We don't want this school to have a stigma by what happened because we
could have had the same results with any high school,'' said Sergeant Bruce
Mitchell of region's drug unit. ``The drugs were purchased generally on
school property outside the school.

``Our officer made it known he was interested in purchasing drugs, not in
large amounts, but in small quantities because he had to portray a student
who didn't have a lot of money.''

Although the undercover officer was based at General Wolfe, police said his
contacts led him to other drug purchases from at two nearby schools - White
Oaks Secondary and Queen Elizabeth Park.

Police arrested 11 of those charged at their homes yesterday morning. Three
others were called out of their classrooms and arrested.

All have been suspended. Principal Tom Adams said their chances of being
readmitted in September will be reviewed individually.

``It was a big shock,'' said Grade 11 student Alma McKee. ``I was
surprised, because the officer was talking to students and everybody got
close to him. I had no idea he was a cop.''

Of the 14 charged, 11 are under 18 and their identifies are protected by
the Young Offenders Act. Facing trafficking charges are Christopher
Hagglund, 18, of Munns Ave., James Hackey, 18, of Sheridan Gardens Dr. and
Krzyszlof Kondratiuk, 18, of Dorval Dr.

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Checked-by:  (Joel W. Johnson)