Cops crackdown on drugs in Timmins

Timmins Police and the OPP drug units continue to crack down on the illicit drug trade in the city. Both agencies this week showed off the results of recent arrests with a boardroom table covered with cash,drugs and illegal weapons.
It was all gathered from a series of recent arrests involving 12 Timmins residents and one from Iroquois Falls. The illegal weapons included a .45 calibre Glock handgun and a small tazer-like device that delivers high voltage electric shocks. Search warrants were served on several city homes between January 2 and February 15.
Timmins Police drug unit sergeant Richard Blanchette says the total haul by police amounted to more than $100,000 in cash, cocaine, marijuana and pills such as Oxycontin and Ecstacy.
Blanchette says the drug problem in Timmins is no worse than any other city, but said there is a dedicated effort to cracking down on traffickers and users.
“Drugs are there, they are in every community,” said Blanchette. “They’re not isolated to Timmins that’s for sure. But we certainly have a dedicated drug unit and we’re working in cooperation with the Ontario Provincial Police and together we get results and it is good police work.”
Police Chief Richard Laperriere said he was happy with the operation and says the success is owed chiefly to the partnership with the OPP.
“We’ve made it very clear from the onset that we wanted to be very aggressive in regards to illicit drugs and we’ve made that commitment and we’ve had the discussions with the Ontario provincial police and we’re commited to moving in that direction,” said the chief.
“Our drug section and their drug section are in fact working together to put a dent in illicit drugs,” he added.
He admitted the other concern was the fact that police recovered weapons. Laperriere said while he was glad to see the weapons off the street, he wasn’t pleased they were out there in the first place.
Among those facing a litany of possession, trafficking and weapons charges are David Daigle, 24; Mario Trudel, 32; Kyle Robertson, 22; Mario Beaulieu, 31; Carole Beaulieu, 36; Clinton Cool, 34; Alexandre Davidson, 32; Patrick Racine, 24; James Peart, 41; Scott Brunette, 27; Shanon Roy, 20; all of Timmins; and Andre Romain, 53, of Iroquois Falls.