Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 02/05) - Police raided a suspected drug den last week where they believe marijuana, hashish and ecstasy were sold to high school children.

Sgt. Mike Payne shows off the marijuana, hashish and ecstacy seized in a raid on a suspected drug house this past Friday. Two men have been charged in connection with the raid. - Andrew Raven/NNSL photo

The rental house is located between Sir John Franklin and St. Patrick high schools.

"There were two areas - one area for selling drugs and another area for using them," said RCMP Sgt. Darcy Fleury, Wednesday, after the bust was announced.

Armed with a search warrant, seven or eight officers, including the newly created street-level drug enforcement team, raided the house this past Friday at around 3 p.m.

Inside they found about one kilogram of marijuana, 250 grams of hashish and 14 tabs of ecstasy.

The search came after two days of police surveillance, during which officers spotted 26 teens come and go, Fleury said. "There were quite a few people going through that place," he said.

Sir John principal Mieke Cameron said she was frustrated with an apparent drug house located near two high schools.

"We offer so many extra-curricular programs and opportunities for growth, but how do you fight something like that?" she asked.

"It is a sober second look at what's happening right under our noses. Not only educators, but parents and the community should be paying attention to this."

Several neighbours complained to police, which sparked the investigation. He was not sure how long the suspected dealing was happening, but said probably "not very long."

"That is the kind of support and co-operation that we need," he said. "We need someone to come up and say: 'This is what's going on in my area'."

St. Patrick principal Johnnie Bowden said the bust should be a "wake up call" to the school and the rest of the community.

"Our city has a problem," said Bowden. "But it's alarming to consider that our kids have been targeted to that degree."

Two men face charges as a result of the raid.

Robert Bonnetrouge has been charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking. David Windle has been charged with trafficking in a controlled substance. Both were released on bail.