IQALUIT (Mar 30/98) - Police dealt the Northern drug trade a serious blow last week.

A two-year RCMP investigation led to 22 arrests in Iqaluit and six others in Pangnirtung and the South for conspiracy to traffic drugs. All but four are Northerners.

"A very significant percentage of the drug trade in this part of the country has been done by this outfit," RCMP Sgt. Tom Steggles said. "It's a major disruption to a significant drug distribution network."

Five Iqaluit properties, with a total value of up to $2.5 million, were seized because they were purchased fully or partially with drug money, Steggles said. The properties include The Snack Restaurant, The Candy Store and three residences. All are owned by Claude Caza, who has been identified as a central figure in the investigation, according to Steggles.

In addition to conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance, Caza, 64, has also be charged with conspiracy to commit arson and four other arson-related charges.

A total of 20 grams of cocaine and just over a half a kilogram of marijuana were also seized.

"We weren't expecting to go in there and locate a motherload of drugs. That wasn't the idea," Steggles said. "That was just sort of a little icing on the cake."

Steggles said the RCMP's priorities were to secure and restrain the properties with a Supreme Court order, and secondly, to arrest each one of the suspects and then to search the properties for evidence.

In addition to the 22 Iqaluit arrests, there's been one related arrest in Pangnirtung, three in Montreal, one in Sherbrooke, Que., and another in Rock Creek, B.C.

"The people here are ecstatic. It's incredible, the comments we're getting around here," Steggles said. "Everybody's happy to see what's been done."

Iqaluit MLA Ed Picco can testify to that.

"The announcement by the RCMP has come with a lot of satisfaction from the community itself. I think the number of people arrested shows you the depth of the problem," Picco said. "The community is quite pleased with the work of the RCMP and we commend them for that."