Huge Drug Bust in Calgary Resulting in 190 Charges

[Huntingwhale]

Unless there is some extra information which they haven't released (which is probably the case), that's a pretty ####ty bust.

[Timbo]

In related news Revenue Canada swooped in on Calgary panhandlers resulting in confiscation of $26.45 of unclaimed revenue and has laid 16 tax evasion charges and also confiscated one God Bless cardboard sign.

[bubbsy]

everything the movies and "the wire" have tought me is that you don't make big arrests and charges on the smalltime street dealer, you use these arrests to quietly infiltrate the bigger guys who are orchestrating the drug ring.

[Jimmy Stang]

If you convert it to milligrams it sounds pretty impressive.

Over THIRTY-FOUR THOUSAND milligrams of MARIJUANA seized before it could be dealt to YOUR CHILDREN.

Sounds like something Global News would lead off with.

[FlamesAddiction]

35 grams of pot!? That must have a street value of like, $500!

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

This is pathetic.

What a waste of time and money... that's barely over a gram of drugs each... that's not even a really fun Friday night.

[Hevishot]

Its always funny when you recognize some of the people on that list. Definately not a shocker in most cases.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Love the thread title. And this "operation" even has its own name: Operation Wunderland. Because of course Operation Complete ####ing Waste of Time was already taken.

[Coys1882]

Why is the amount of drugs/weapons/cash seized the important part of the story? I'm assuming this is news worthy to the CPS because of the people that are being charged because of this investigation?

[Temporary_User]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

Why is the amount of drugs/weapons/cash seized the important part of the story? I'm assuming this is news worthy to the CPS because of the people that are being charged because of this investigation?

Because this 5 week operation resulted in such a laughable small amount of drugs being confiscated.
They could have stopped 190 people at random out at the bars on any given weekend and confiscate more drugs than this (assuming their main goal was simply to get the drugs off the streets).

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

Because this 5 week operation resulted in such a laughable small amount of drugs being confiscated.
They could have stopped 190 people at random out at the bars on any given weekend and confiscate more drugs than this (assuming their main goal was simply to get the drugs off the streets).

But why does the amount of drugs being confiscated have to be the focal point? It's not a lot but maybe the guys being charged and possibly jailed is worth a lot more than the potential of large seizure during the arrests.


Maybe they should list the collective weight of all the guys they charged? "CPS seized 1700lbs of scumbag during the raid"

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

But why does the amount of drugs being confiscated have to be the focal point? It's not a lot but maybe the guys being charged and possibly jailed is worth a lot more than the potential of large seizure during the arrests.

Considering how little drugs they were arrested with, they are the smallest of the small time players, the absolute bottom of the drug hierarchy. If they were going to roll up on higher players they wouldn't be publishing their names, because of course then they can be taken out. This appears to be celebrating a rather pathetic drug bust. All of those arrested or seeking to be arrested will be fully replaced within a week.

[Coys1882]

I'm sure they'll lean on some of these little guys to give up bigger fish.

I see the point that they'll be replaced at that level overnight - but won't the drugs that get seized too? Even a huge bust - that has to be just a fraction of what's out there. Even if it does a big dent on supply - price just goes up which probably just means an increase in crime to support habits etc.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah that's the interesting thing about drug busts: Outside of those directly arrested, the biggest loser is usually the average drug user. Prices almost always go up after a bust, even as there is almost no effect on supply. Drug busts are basically like a long weekend for gas stations: An excuse to charge even more.

[calumniate]

Not sure what Tony Bear looks like, but I kind of feel bad for him

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

But why does the amount of drugs being confiscated have to be the focal point? It's not a lot but maybe the guys being charged and possibly jailed is worth a lot more than the potential of large seizure during the arrests.


Maybe they should list the collective weight of all the guys they charged? "CPS seized 1700lbs of scumbag during the raid"

Not everybody thinks that a guy with $15 worth or weed in his pocket is an automatic scumbag.

Ill bet that 30% of the cops that worked on the project have more than that sitting in their sock drawer at home.

[Timbo]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

But why does the amount of drugs being confiscated have to be the focal point? It's not a lot but maybe the guys being charged and possibly jailed is worth a lot more than the potential of large seizure during the arrests.

I appreciate CPS work in all avenues of law enforcement. But to be quite honest when I first read of this bust on the On-line Herald I had to check that I was not reading The Onion instead.
This is probably the infancy of efforts to clean up the East Village. I am sure we will see more efforts by CPS to remove or relocate the street peeps.
I seem to recall something similar happening in Inglewood and also Eau Claire in the 80's

Your point is well taken... now please let us have our fun.

Clearly we can surmise that from the large amounts of drugs siezed that there must be a tunnel from here to Surry BC which in turn is linked to the US.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest

This is what our speeding tickets pay for?

Our speeding tickets only actually pay for the guy giving us speeding tickets.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

But why does the amount of drugs being confiscated have to be the focal point?

Because it's not going to put even the tiniest dent into either the supply or demand of drugs.

Originally Posted by Coys1882

It's not a lot but maybe the guys being charged and possibly jailed is worth a lot more than the potential of large seizure during the arrests.

How? The only way this makes the slightest bit of sense is if they intended to try and leverage these arrests into action higher up the narcotics food chain but they wouldn't be announcing it if it were because the investigation would be ongoing.

Given the tiny amount of drugs seized I would put money down that these people aren't even really dealers (as in people who actually make a living selling drugs). If I were to make a bet I would guess that these are mostly just recreational users who were asked by their new "friend" (AKA Undercover Police) who they met oh say 5 weeks ago if they could find them some weed. Happened to a friend of mine a long time ago.

[troutman]

Getty Lee TYSDAL, 24

Our first stop is in Bogota
To check Colombian fields
The natives smile and pass along
A sample of their yield
Sweet Jamaican pipe dreams
Golden Acapulco nights
Then Morocco, and the East
Fly by morning light