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Page 12, News, Wednesday, February 17, 1988 Crimestoppers Crime of the week Break, enter and theft- Ripple Lake (near Marathon) During the weekend of October 3rd and 4th, 1987, the opening weekend of the big game hunting season, a theft occurred at a CPR building on the CPR mainline, located at Ripple Lake, between Marathon and Schreiber. A padlock on the building was destroyed by a rifle shot and entry was gained. Once inside, 43 batteries, contained in 22 boxes, were removed from the building. These batteries are some 14-and-a-half inches high, and six-and-a-half inches at the base, and taper to four inches at the top. These items are unique in that they are not commercially avail- able in Canada. All are marked with the marking "NP 140". The batteries are 1.47 volts, 140 amps, and can be connected in series to operate minor appliances and electronic equipment. They can be recharged, and could conceivably be used in cot- tages, or where hydro is not available. All items are readily identifi- able. Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000, this week, for information that leads to the arrest of the person responsible for this crime. Call Crimestoppers at 623-TIPS, that's 623-8477, or long dis- tance, toll-free, at 1-800-465-6844, if you have any information regarding this crime. "YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REVEAL YOUR IDENTITY" _Crimestoppers also pays cash for information on any unsolved crimes. The Crimestopper reward fund is raised through tax-deductible donations from citizens and businesses. Cheques may be sent to Thunder Bay Crimestoppers Inc., 425 E. Donald Street, Thunder Bay, P7E 5V1. Information provided courtesy of the Terrace Bay/Schreiber Crimestoppers Committee. ZAITZEFF ARNONE SOMERLEIGH Barristers & Solicitors 291 South Court Street Thunder Bay, Ontario | SPECIALIZING IN FAMILY MATTERS; WILLS and ESTATES: CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LITIGATION; REAL ESTATE and CORPORATE COMMERCIAL LAW. CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-465-3912 MARYLIN J. ZAITZEFF and DINO DIGIUSEPPE attend weekly office hours Thursdays in Terrace Bay. Italian spoken. Receptionist available daily at Simcoe Plaza Office, call 825-3292 for appointments and further information. $33 million of narcotics taken in 1987 The Ontario Provincial Police drug enforcement unit has netted a record breaking $33 million of narcotics in investigations throughout the province in 1987. The 32 members of the drug enforcement section set up major undercover projects to probe drug smuggling and distribution opera- tions across Ontario, wherever a problem arises, and their exper- tise is needed by smaller and less- equipped police forces. The OPP drug enforcement section has been involved in no less than 2,000 separate drug investigations, most initially launched by other police depart- ments. "Many municipal forces recog- nize problems in their areas and they seek our assistance. In fact, ~ 90 per cent of our work involves joint force investigations," said Superintendent Wib Craig, direc- tor of OPP General Investigation Branch, which the drug enforce- ment section comes under. A recent joint forces investiga- tion involving the OPP, Canada Customs and the Surete Du Quebec ended Christmas Eve with the seizure of $18 million of heroin, smuggled from the Middle East, and the arrests of 10 people in Toronto and Montreal. Drug enforcement section members travel throughout Ontario providing financial resources, equipment, assistance and training for OPP personnel at the district level and for other police forces. The section has 15 to 20 indi- vidual investigations on the go at any time. Cocaine proved to be the most-increasingly used illicit drug in Ontario in 1987. It was present in every investi- gation the OPP launched. Major undercover operations set up in areas such as Barrie, Kingston, Ottawa, Thunder Bay and Kenora, to name only a few, con- tinued to reveal the widespread use and distribution of cocaine. Marijuana and hashish are the other most-common drugs found to be in circulation and quantities of both are present in nearly all investigations. The sale and distribution of cocaine, like all other drugs, involves a complete cross-section of our society. Dealers include outlaw. motorcycle gang mem- bers, businessmen, students, pro- fessional people and the unem- ployed. The following cases are three typical drug investigations undertaken by the OPP drug enforcement section this year. Project Snow- a seven-month undercover investigation into the sale of cocaine, hashish, hash oil, marijuana, LSD, magic mush- rooms and controlled drugs in Sudbury, ended when OPP and Sudbury Regional Police officers charged a total of 66 people on 135 drug-related offenses August 19. The investigation, which origi- nally centered on the sale of drugs in local strip clubs, netted $150,000 worth of drugs in what began as a street-level probe involving one OPP undercover operative with the North Bay drug unit. Following a series of small cocaine and hash buys, the under- cover operative worked his way into the larger field of cocaine and hash distribution from Montreal via the Ottawa area. Project Pony- a six-month joint forces probe involving the OPP drug enforcement section and Metropolitan Toronto Police, centered on cocaine distribution in Toronto and surrounding areas. Using electronic and physical surveillance, investigators probed organized crime figures and found a major distribution net- work importing cocaine from South America into Montreal. The drug would then be dis- tributed throughout Ontario via Toronto. Last April 1, more than 100 North of Superior Programs STRESS MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP SERIES Seminar Leaders: Hadley Koltun Garry Turcotte From time to time, we all suffer the effects of Stress. This seminar series will look at ways we can identify how much stress there is in our lives and to learn to control it, instead of stress controlling us. When: Wednesday, February 24, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 7:00 p.m. Thursday , March 10, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, 7:00 p.m. Where: Schreiber Recreation Centre - Meeting Room Cost: $5.00 for a relaxation tape (optional) For details, phone 825-3238 or 824-2597 For registration, phone the Schreiber Rec Centre at 824-2317 824-3336 CHIROPRACTOR Nor-Shore Chiropractor-Clinic MOUNTAIN VIEW PLAZA SCHREIBER WEDNESDAY 12 to 8:00 p.m. or Sportsworid 824-2506 ANNOUNCEMENT COMMUNITY FUTURES COMMITTEE MEMBERS. REQUIRED Schreiber Terrace Bay Community Futures Organization has an opening for new Committee Members. The Committee is composed of volunteers from Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Rossport, and Pays Plat who meet on a monthly basis to assist in the evaluation of the employment problems, the needs and concerns of the business community, and the training needs in this area. In the Spring the Committee will be concluding their assessment and making recommendations to the Federal Government. If you are interested in participating in this organization, please write to: Mr. John Smrke, Chairperson Schreiber Terrace Bay Community Futures Organization P.O. Box 716 Terrace Bay, Ontario police officers, including mem- bers of the Peel and York Regional Police departments, staged early morning raids arrest- ing 23 people. During the course of the inves- tigation $150,000 worth of drugs were seized. Special investigative assis- tance and surveillance was pro- vided by police in Montreal and the Surete Du Quebec, who made additional arrests and drug seizures in that province. Cocaine distribution in the Woodstock area came under OPP scrutiny in "Project Whiteout", which culminated in'the arrests of 13 people on 28 Narcotic Control Act and Criminal Code, of Canada charges January 15. Information provided by an informant revealed cocaine could easily be bought at a Woodstock hotel and that truckers from across Canada and the US regu- larly stopped by to purchase the drug. Surveillance showed cocaine and other drugs were brought from Toronto and distributed in the London area through the Woodstock location. Three months after the initial investigation was launched, 55 - Officers, combined members of Woodstock Police, OPP, Waterloo and Peel Regional Police forces and Metro Toronto Police, raided homes and business in their respective areas. OPP officers from the London Drug unit drew assistance from members of the Kingston, North Bay and Toronto drug units. Police seized $65,000 of drugs, as well as a fully-opera- tional hash oil laboratory. The OPP drug entorcement section was formed as a joint forces operation with the RCMP in 1973. The 35-member team concen- trated primarily on the importa- tion of drugs into Ontario and focused on the international drug scene. By 1979 the need for a provin- cially mandated drug investiga- tive unit became apparent and the OPP. set up its own drug section in Toronto, London, Kingston, North Bay, Kenora and Thunder Bay. "I would like to see the drug section expand and open units in Ottawa, Windsor and Sault Ste. Marie- all key border points," said Supt. Craig. ~ "A lot of investigative work is generated in those areas and drug activity there is well-document- ed." In addition to the hundreds of investigations launched by the drug enforcement section in 1987, numerous street-level drug probes have netted arrests and seizures in response to the Commissioner's Field Drug Initiative, which was launched last spring. This field initiative, which involved the 16 OPP districts, spread the force's anti-drug man- date to the less-populated areas of the province. This year many small town drug dealers found their communities were no longer safe havens to conduct their busi- ness. "It has been a very successful initiative," said Supt. Craig. "Each district started their own street-level investigation- in some cases with our unit or under our guidance- and had good results. "Every year we become more proficient and better-qualified. We learn to do more with less and we are substantially increasing both the number of people arrest- ed and the quantities of drugs. caizvedn " Craico cain