Two arrested in conjunction with sizable pot bust
Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Hollie Pratt-Campbell
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EMC News - The Kingston Police Force initiated a major marijuana drug bust on the evening of Jan. 19 and made two arrests connected with the seizure.
Hollie Pratt-Campbell, Kingston EMC
Kingston Police Cst. Steve Koopman sorts through the bags of marijuana obtained in last week's drug bust.
A man and his girlfriend were both charged - the man with possession for the purpose of trafficking, trafficking marijuana and possession of property obtained by crime and the woman with possession for the purpose of trafficking.
The majority of the drugs were found during warranted searches in the respective homes of the accused on Cedarwood Drive and Rosemund Crescent.
Det.-Sgt. Mike Boyles said that the man was known to police and had been under investigation for about three months.
"It certainly wasn't continuous for three months, but he was on the radar...If an opportunity arose to take enforcement action on him we were going to."
About 12 lbs. of marijuana were seized in total - approximately 11.5 lbs. between the two houses and an additional half-pound off the street. Approximately $20,000 of cash was also found concealed in the Cedarwood Drive residence. Boyles explained that the street value of the marijuana is estimated at $54,000, bringing the total value of confiscated drugs and money to almost $75,000.
In addition, the man's car was seized by the Kingston Police Force's Asset Forfeiture Unit.
"We believed he was transporting the drugs in the car, so we took it," said Boyles.
Cst. Steve Koopman said that the Kingston Police Force has recently made an effort to push its asset forfeiture efforts into high gear.
"We're now seizing vehicles, property, we're even seizing houses if we can prove it," he said, explaining that having this ability is of huge value to the police as such forfeitures deliver considerable blows to the accused.
"In totality, (this drug dealer) has lost $54,000 worth of drugs, $20,000 of money, and now (he's) lost his vehicle as well - his means of transportation.
"The Drug Unit has always been very successful," Koopman continued. "It's nice to know they can do a follow-up investigation and act upon the information that's provided to them...This is great to have been able to take 12 lbs. of illicit drugs off the street."
Koopman said that police are unsure at this point where the drugs were coming from, and how widespread their distribution was.
"This wasn't a long investigation...They just simply knew that this individual was under suspicion of selling drugs on the street and they were able to find the locations of where his mass storage was between the two different residences."
He added that the Drug Unit may continue the investigation to obtain further information on the marijuana's origins and the extent of its distribution network.
"Obviously there's a large amount (of drugs) on the streets and we're not going to say this is going to make a huge dent in totality," said Koopman. "But we know it's certainly going to hit one or two drug dealers here in town and some of their customers."
hpratt-campbell@theemc.ca
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