Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Dec 10/99) - The evidence room at G Division headquarters in Yellowknife has quite a cache of drugs this week, as several drug investigations have netted arrests and contraband in what police describe as an organized drug ring.

A woman from Hay River and two men, one from Yellowknife and the other from British Columbia, were arrested in Yellowknife Monday when drug enforcement officers seized over 10 kilograms of marijuana and 125 grams of hashish oil from a pickup truck. The drugs are worth about $250,000.

The suspects face two counts each of trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking, and are in custody. They will appear in territorial court today.

A fourth man was arrested in Christina Lake, B.C. Tuesday. A total of 106 marijuana plants, worth over $100,000, and $20,0000 worth of hydroponic growing equipment were seized.

The man was charged with possession, possession for the purpose of trafficking and cultivation.

"This is a drug ring and we took down the whole thing, from A to Z," said Sgt. Dan Nowlan, who participated in the bust.

"This is a substantial seizure," said G Division spokesperson Sgt. Phil Johnson. "This is one of the largest seizures in the North in quite some time."

Johnson said the bust would have only a temporary effect on the amount of drugs on Yellowknife's streets.

"This seizure will put a dent in the current supply of marijuana products in the Northwest Territories," he said. "But when one ring is caught, it's been my experience that another will pop up to fill the demand for this contraband."

The drug enforcement team has been busy over the past week with other cases, including a small LSD bust on Sunday and a cocaine seizure on Nov. 30.

Two men were charged with trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking after the 10 grams of cocaine, worth about $1,400, were seized during a routine vehicle check.

Another man was charged with the same offenses after acid and some magic mushrooms were found in a home in the Frame Lake area.

Both Nowlan and Johnson said LSD busts are rare in the North compared to cocaine and marijuana.

Johnson said the three recent busts do not constitute a crackdown.

"Investigations take time," he said.

"It's probably more coincidental than anything else...this flurry of seizures."

Nowlan said he urged members of the public to report drug activity in their neighbourhoods to the RCMP, or phone Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

"When I see this much marijuana in a bust, it's disappointing," Johnson said.

"I wouldn't say it's alarming, but when we have a seizure this size, it means there's a demand for this contraband."