Cara Loverock
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, June 18, 2008

YELLOWKNIFE - Two male youths are facing charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking after RCMP in Yellowknife made a major drug bust over the weekend.

Early Saturday morning, the RCMP Crime Reduction Unit executed a search of a residence in the Frame Lake area.

Police seized roughly 16 grams of crack cocaine, 28 tablets of ecstasy, two-and-a-half ounces of magic mushrooms and a significant amount of cash. RCMP Const. Roxanne Dreilich said she did not believe the two males were related and could not give an exact amount of cash seized. She said the youths were taken into custody without incident.

"I believe there was others in the residence at the time, but I don't know how many," said Dreilich.

Police do not encounter magic mushrooms often, she added. Ecstasy is becoming more commonplace, however.

"Occasionally we're seeing or hearing about (ecstasy) in Yellowknife, so it wasn't surprising to us." she said.

Prison fight

A fight broke out in North Slave Correctional Centre (NSCC) leaving one inmate facing a charge of assault. A 47-year-old man was reportedly assaulted on Sunday afternoon by a 20-year-old man.

"There was no indication of (an injury)," said Dreilich.

The jail does have common areas where inmates are able to socialize. However, the RCMP received the report from NSCC staff and was not able to provide details on how the altercation started.

Knife attack

A 43-year-old man is facing a charge of assault with a weapon after a 50-year-old woman reported being attacked by a person brandishing a knife. The incident took place in the early morning hours last Thursday in the woman's home.

"Essentially (the assailant) pulled a knife and knocked her to the floor," said Dreilich.

The woman gave RCMP a statement and was taken to her mother's home until the man was apprehended by police. Dreilich said she was unaware what the relationship is between the two individuals, but the accused is known to the woman.

The man was taken into custody and released on the condition that he have no contact with the woman.