A part-time Hamilton special constable has been suspended without pay after being arrested in a drug raid. Macklin Hoang, 24, is a civilian who works on-call with the police service. Hoang and four of his relatives were taken into custody at their Crooks Street home, in the area of Barton and Locke streets, around 2:30 a.m. yesterday. Police say they seized marijuana, ecstasy pills and electronic scales during the search, along with $7,500 in cash and three four-foot marijuana plants growing in the back yard. [continues 87 words]
Says He's The Unwitting Dupe Of A Criminal Grow Operation In His Buildings A Hamilton landlord has portrayed himself as the unwitting dupe of a sophisticated criminal operation after a massive marijuana grow operation was discovered in his east end apartments. On Wednesday, Hamilton police found 11,000 plants worth about $11 million in 48 units in three high-rise apartment buildings owned by Di Cenzo Management Inc., one of the Steel City's biggest residential landlords. It was the biggest marijuana grow operation in Hamilton history and drew attention to previous criminal activity in and around the complex, which involved at least one stabbing and a shooting. [continues 585 words]
Cops Stunned To Find $11m Worth Of Marijuana In 49 East-End Apartments Hamilton police say they've seized $11 million worth of marijuana from elaborate grow ops set up in 49 apartments in three east-end buildings. It's the largest bust in the city's history. Police swept down on Rita Court at 11 Grandville Ave. at 6 a.m. yesterday after getting a tip about grow ops. Each discovery led them to another apartment packed with dozens of plants and into two nearby buildings. By the time 14 hours had passed, police had spread their search into Silvana Manor at 50 Violet Dr. and Anthony Court at 77 Delawana Dr., all just east of Centennial Parkway. [continues 254 words]
Hamilton police have seized more than $2.7 million in illegal drugs and a small arsenal of firearms as part of a series of undercover investigations. The 12-week Project Rocker was launched in September and focused on street-level crack cocaine use. Staff Sergeant Dave Calvert of the vice and drugs unit said by going after smaller dealers and users, police were hoping to reduce some of the fear of crime in the community and interrupt the availability of the drug. [continues 251 words]
Bar Patron Could Carry Drink Into Hall, Restroom Kristin thinks someone slipped something into her drink but she's not sure. The 19-year-old McMaster student was at a bar in Toronto during the summer when she began feeling dizzy and blacked out after just one drink. "I have no other explanation for what happened," she said. "It's never happened to me before." It's not uncommon for women who have been slipped a drug to wonder if it's really happened to them. Even when they carry a drink all night - -- as Kristin did -- there's still the possibility of something being dropped in. [continues 397 words]
Still A Border Problem, But They Aren't Stopping Here The bad news is that drugs are still a problem at the border. The good news -- for Sarnians at least -- is that they seem to be bypassing the community. "A lot of times it's not drugs coming into this community but drugs going onto the larger (places)," said Ron Flowers, regional intelligence officer with Canada Border Services Agency. Flowers was a guest speaker at the Seaway Kiwanis Club's Canada/U.S. Goodwill dinner Monday night, where he gave the about 150 members a rundown of how border services have changed since Sept. 11, 2001. [continues 148 words]
