Moose Factory Man Arrested for Crack Cocaine Trafficking

Source: Wawatay News

On September 10, 2012, the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service officers from the Moose Factory Detachment conducted an investigation into an occurrence under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and have subsequently charged a Moose Factory resident.

Police seized approximately thirty-eight thousand five-hundred ($38,500.00) dollars worth of Crack Cocaine. The drugs were intercepted in Moosonee, Ontario and believed the drugs to be destined for Moose Factory.

Forty-two year-old Donald Weapenicappo of Moose Cree First Nation has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. Weapenicappo will be held in custody pending a bail hearing on September, 12, 2012, in Timmins, Ontario.

Link: http://www.wawataynews.ca/archive/all/2012/9/11/moose-cree-man-arrested-crack-cocaine-trafficking_23451

Town Hall Meeting - Moose Factory

A Town Hall meeting in Moose Factory on August 18th highlighted the issue of drug abuse and trafficking in the communities of Moose Factory and Moosonee. Those with addictions should be supported by the community. Addictions are a "symptom" of other past and present issues. Those trafficking the drugs should be dealt with in another manner. Trafficking is a "cause" of other present and future issues. Drugs and trafficking of drugs remains the number one issue of focus at the Town Hall meetings.

Source: Anonymous

THREE ARRESTED FOR POSSESSION OF PROCEEDS OF CRIME

(Moosonee, ON)  On Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3, 2015, the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service Guns & Gangs/Organized Crime Unit, assisted by the NAPS Crime Unit, Canine Unit, and Moose Factory Detachment members, laid charges to three individuals following a drug trafficking investigation.

 

Police investigation was in connection with reported drug trafficking in Moose Factory First Nation and Moosonee, Ontario.  Approximately thirty thousand ($30,000.00) dollars in Canadian Currency was seized from the individuals.

Twenty-one (21) year old Shane BENJAMIN of Toronto, Ontario was charged with Possession of Proceeds Obtained by Crime, Fail to Stop at Scene of Accident, and Breach of Recognizance.

Eighteen (18) year old Elijah PALMER of Toronto, Ontario was charged with Possession of Proceeds Obtained by Crime and Breach of Probation.

Twenty-one (21) year old Abdulraman BANOURI of Regina, Saskatchewan was charged with Possession of Proceeds Obtained by Crime, Fail to Stop at Scene of Accident, and two counts of Breach of Undertaking.

BENJAMIN and PALMER were released on conditions from custody following the charges and will next appear in court on June 8, 2015.

BANOURI is currently still in custody pending the next court date of June 17, 2015.

Moose Cree First Nation is located approximately 630 kilometres north of Timmins, Ontario.

Just the Facts - The evils of ecstasy

Source (RCMP): http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/gazette/vol75no1/facts-faits-eng.htm

MDMA, the chemical drug that’s also known as ecstasy, was synthesized about 70 years ago to be used as an appetite suppressant. It became a hit among partygoers in the 1980s, but now, the brightly coloured pill is sought after by a wide range of users who are drawn to the feelings of euphoria and emotional warmth. But the peace and love drug also has a menacing impact on physical and mental health as well as society.

• Ecstasy is the street name for drugs that include, or are similar to, the drug methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
• Since MDMA is produced in clandestine labs, users can never be sure of what they’re buying. Tablets usually include the drug 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but can also be laced with methamphetamine, ketamine, cocaine, caffeine and the diet drug ephedrine.
• Its primary dealers and buyers are suburban middle to upper-income teenagers and college students.
• In its original form, MDMA is an oily substance. It’s usually made into brightly coloured pills or capsules that resemble prescription drugs.
• Usually 30 to 45 minutes after MDMA is ingested, users can experience altered perception, anxiety, increased heart rate, psychosis, convulsions and paranoia. These effects can last up to a week after taking the drug.
• MDMA alters normal brain functions, leaving users at risk for depression, impaired memory and panic attacks.
• MDMA causes an increase in body temperature, which can be fatal for those who take it at high-energy, overheated raves or dance parties.
• Safrole, the main precursor in MDMA, is a controlled substance in Canada. Other precursors are not controlled and are imported by Canadian crime groups often from China and India.
• According to North Carolina State University, Safrole is derived from Cambodia’s mreah prov trees, and the high demand for MDMA is leading to severe deforestation.
• The oil extracted from these trees is distilled over fires, which requires huge amounts of firewood from Cambodian forests. Water near these clandestine distilleries also becomes tainted with poisonous and carcinogenic runoff.
• According to the Australian Federal Police, in 2008, more than 900 tonnes of mreah prov timber was illegally cut down by one crime group, which produced 35 tonnes of safrole. The safrole was seized by Cambodian authorities, but had the potential to yield 260 million MDMA tablets worth more than $7.6 billion.
• For every kilogram of MDMA produced, eight kilograms of toxic waste is also produced, which can pollute the local environment.
• According to the National Post, between July 2011 and March 2012, there were 19 MDMA-related deaths in British Columbia and 12 in Alberta.
• Of those 31 deaths, 13 were caused by MDMA that contained paramethoxymethamphetamine — a highly toxic drug that is considered five times more toxic than MDMA itself.
• According to the New York Times, the RCMP seized 5.2 million hits of MDMA in 2006, which was up from 1.1 million in 2004. Seventy per cent of the 2006 seizures were laced with methamphetamine.
• The RCMP’s 2009 Report on the Illicit Drug Situation in Canada states that Canadian-based organized crime groups made enough MDMA to meet the domestic demand. They also provided significant quantities for international markets such as the United States.
• Before 2004, most of the MDMA that was available in Canada was made in the Netherlands. Now, Canada is recognized as one of the main producers of the synthetic drug, with most production, trafficking and exportation happening in British Columbia.

TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO CRIMINAL CHARGES - MOOSONEE

Ontario Provincial Police News Portal [MOOSONEE] TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO CRIMINAL CHARGES 2015-06-05 

(MOOSONEE, ON) – In the early hours on June 5, 2015 members of the Moosonee Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were conducted patrols in the area of Ferguson Road when they conducted a traffic stop for a suspected suspended driver.

Shortly after 1:20 am officers conducted a traffic stop which revealed the driver was suspended from driving. The accused was arrested and searched incident to arrest. As a result of this search a quantity of cocaine and fentanyl was discovered.

Terry MANCHESTER (33), of Moosonee, has been charged with the following offences:
- Driving while under suspension contrary to Section 53(1) of the Highway Traffic Act
- Possession of a Schedule I Substance contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
- Possession of a Schedule II Substance contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The accused was released on a promise to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Moosonee on August 4, 2015.

Archives Reveal Previous Interactions with Organized Crime

In Stephen Schneider's book (2009), ICED: The Story of Organized Crime in Canada, Schneider points to an police intelligence report that mentions Moosonee: "In 1958, a police intelligence report alleged that McDermott and Feeley [parties to Roseland Veterans' Club in Windsor] went on a hunting party in Moosonee, Ontario, with Detroit mobsters Domenic Corrado, Vincent Meli, and Anthony Tocco. McDermott covered the party's expenses, a bill of around $2,000."

Awareness: Drugs and Organized Crime

Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness Service (DOCAS)

Source: RCMP Website

Awareness: Drugs and Organized Crime

You might think that as a law-abiding citizen, drugs and organized crime have no effect on your life. But, sadly, they do; drugs and organized crime affect individuals both directly and indirectly in the communities we serve, every single day.

 

Drug abuse of any kind is a serious health and social problem harming individuals, relationships and families, often irreparably. It’s estimated to cost the Canadian economy billions of dollars each year in lost productivity, law enforcement and health care costs. The criminality and violence that surrounds illicit drug use poses a threat to the safety of our communities.

 

Drugs fuel organized crime, which is defined is any group of three or more people engaged in criminal activity where the primary motive is profit. While many still imagine that organized crime pertains only to things like motorcycle gangs and the mafia, it can be found in nearly every crime imaginable, including counterfeiting, cigarette smuggling, human trafficking, credit and bank card fraud, and the exploitation of children on the internet, to name but a few. The public pays for these crimes through increased taxes and higher prices on essential goods and services, and through a diminished sense of safety and security in their homes and communities, (and, of course, some pay directly as victims of crime).

Slave Traders

Source: Anonymous

Drug traffickers are modern-day slave traders. They trade in substances that create dependencies and slavery of individuals in our communities. These individuals have the same twisted psychology as the slave traders and human traffickers of past times. They are willing to oppress others for profit. Even more upsetting is the fact that drug trafficking can be equated to a new form of suppression against Aboriginal communities and abuse towards Aboriginal youth. Drug traffickers and members of organized crime are "abusers" and "slave traders". These individuals try to justify their actions but there is no justification for what they are doing to our communities. Creating slaves and creating an economy of slavery, through dependence on harmful substances, is what these individuals are doing. Our communities should root out these abusers and in stead support healthy communities; that is, communities where youth are free to chose a life that has meaning, not one that leads to slavery. 

Drug Trafficker Alert

Source: Anonymous

In late January/early February 2015, a man of Asian background was evicted from a house on the Moose Cree portion of the island of Moose Factory. This individual has since taken up lodging in a house on the off-reserve portion of the community. 

Special Committee on Non-Medical Use of Drugs

Special Committee on Non-Medical Use of Drugs (Moosonee Mention)

Source: Parliament of Canada - April 22, 2002

    Commissioner Gwen Boniface (Ontario Provincial Police): Thank you very much.

    It's our pleasure to appear before you this day and hopefully offer you some information that will be relevant to your deliberations.

    I'd like to introduce a little bit of the background of the people with me.

    Detective Superintendent Jim Hutchinson is the head of drug enforcement for the Ontario Provincial Police. He has held this position since 1998 and has 17 years of experience in drug enforcement at all levels, including five years in a joint forces operation with the RCMP.

    Superintendent Morris Elbers was the deputy director of drug enforcement. He has spent almost half of his 26-year career in policing in drug enforcement.

    Detective Staff Sergeant Rick Barnum is our unit commander for our combined forces drug unit in central Ontario. He brings to this forum a decade of on-the-ground investigative experience in undercover work and a valuable perspective on what is happening today in our communities with respect to non-medical drug use.

    To begin, I'm just going to give you a very quick fact outline on the OPP so those of you who are from outside the province have a sense of who we are. We are one of North America's largest deployed police forces. We have 5,240 uniformed members, 1,800 civilian members, and an auxiliary unit of 875. We police a population of about 2.3 million. It increases to about 3 million in the summer, given that we do most of cottage country.

    We currently provide front-line local police service to 400 municipalities and first nations communities throughout Ontario. Our communities range in size from the town of Caledon, north of Toronto, with a population of just over 51,000, to more remote communities in the north, like Moosonee on the James Bay coast. Pickle Lake would be our furthest north detachment, a community of about 450 people.

    In addition, we have a provincial mandate that includes criminal investigations. To name just a few of the areas we have provincial interjurisdictional leadership for, they include such areas as motorcycle gang activities through our provincial squad, the provincial weapons special enforcement unit, and numerous drug enforcement teams across the province.

    Many of our drug enforcement teams work in joint forces operations in large urban centres such as Ottawa, Kingston, and Toronto, while other units are situated in smaller centres such as North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. The diversity of experience gained in working in a variety of locations, coupled with our provincial perspective, allows the OPP and our drug enforcement section to come before you today as seasoned experts in the fight against the illicit production, sale, and use of non-medical drugs.

    As the committee is well aware, current unique and comprehensive research papers and studies are hard to find dealing with rural drug use. We feel this is because the studies just do not seem to exist. Much of what the OPP will present to you today will be reflections of the experience faced by our police officers throughout the province.

    The issues of non-medical drug production, sale, and use present a serious crime problem in all corners of the country. This is also true in Ontario, as evidenced by a significant increase in the number of organized crime marijuana grow houses and the increase in the production and availability of Ecstasy, Special K, and methamphetamine. All of these issues will be addressed in this presentation.

    Along with the issues of non-medical drugs comes a nexus to other types of crime, such as break and enters, robbery, homicide. It is vital to understand the world of drugs and to be able to identify if the crime is caused by the user in an attempt to get money to buy drugs; secondly, if the crime is caused by the user because he or she has taken drugs; or if the crime is related to drugs by being committed by a trafficker in an attempt to control debts or territory. These distinctions must be made in order for the police and the public to effectively work together to battle the non-medical drug problem existing in a neighbourhood or town.

    We recognize that while law enforcement acts as a deterrent to drug trafficking and production, the long-term answer to the drug problem goes well beyond traditional law enforcement actions. With this in mind, the OPP directs its enforcement measures toward targeting mid- to high-level trafficking in local, regional, national, and international venues. We also actively support aspects of prevention and education. OPP members provide province-wide assistance in facilitating and directing non-medical drug users to clinics and centres for counselling and rehabilitation, and our uniformed members are provincial leaders in the delivery of educational programs, such as the drug abuse resistance education, or DARE, program, to school children in our province.

    We believe in a comprehensive approach to the non-medical drug use problem in Ontario and Canada. All agencies, including all levels of governments, courts, social agencies, police, and the public, need to harmonize their efforts to make a difference in this spectrum.

OPP Investigation Seizes $170,000 Worth of Drugs

OPP Investigation Seizes $170,000 Worth of Drugs

Source: Cochrane Times Post (November 12, 2013)

The Ontario Provincial Police Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB), Sudbury Unit supported by the OPP Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau, OPP Asset Forfeiture Unit and the Toronto Police Service have arrested and charged a Greater Toronto area resident with several drug related offences.

The investigation focused on an individual from the Greater Toronto area who was supplying illicit drugs to the Northern communities of Moosonee, Moose Factory, Chapleau, and Brunswick House First Nations.

During the course of this investigation an active methamphetamine laboratory was identified in Mississauga and with the assistance of the Peel Regional Police Service was dismantled.

Methamphetamine, cocaine, oxycodone, fentanyl and marihuana was seized along with $20,000 cash.   The street value of the drugs seized is $170,000.

Moose Factory Residents Charged

Moose Factory Residents Charged

Source: Net News Ledger

THUNDER BAY, MOOSE FACTORY – Crimebeat – On December 4, 2011, Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service members of the Moose Factory Detachment assisted the Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit to execute a search warrant issued under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act at a residence in the Moose Cree First Nation. Four Moose Factory residents have been charged and a significant amount of drugs, alcohol and currency have been seized.

A search of the residence located at 31 Jaban Street resulted in the seizure of 91.2 grams of Cocaine, thirteen thousand two hundred eighty-five ($13,285.00) dollars in currency, twenty-nine (29) firearms, eighteen (18) bottles of alcohol, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia and communication devices. The northern street value of the seized drugs is approximately fourteen thousand six hundred ($14,600.00) dollars and for the seized alcohol, approximately $1,400.00.

Sixty-five year-old John Wesley and sixty-two year-old Evelyn Wesley have each been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, and Careless Storage of a Firearm. In addition, thirty-one year-old Loretta Brenda Wesley and twenty-seven year-old Nicole Robin Wesley have each been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Careless Storage of a Firearm, and Unlawfully Keeping Liquor for Sale.

They all have been released by police on conditions and will appear in court in Moosonee on February 16, 2012.

Moose Cree First Nation is approximately 300 kilometres north of Cochrane. The Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit consists of members from The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, The Thunder Bay Police Service, The O.P.P.- Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, The R.C.M.P., and The Anishinabek Police Service.

Purpose of this Blog Site

This Blog does not replace any current programs such as Crime Stoppers. Nothing replaces the value of reporting crimes in progress directly to the police using an anonymous communications medium or by speaking with a police representative in your local community. This Blog is meant to report on, mainly, open-source information about drug trafficking and organized crime in Moosonee and Moose Factory. It is aimed at building public awareness of the need for change.

Crime Stoppers - OPP

There are more than 600 Crime Stoppers programs in the world today, 105 of them operating in Canada.  Crime Stoppers is truly an international effort with programs in Canada, the United States of America, Australia, United Kingdom, Guam and the Caribbean.  Yearly, new countries begin new programs with the guidance of Crime Stoppers International.  They are volunteer driven, and rely on the partnership of community members, police and the media.

The promise of anonymity when providing information that could help the Police prevent or solve crime is the backbone of the program.  Your information is sent to an investigative unit, who report back to Crime Stoppers if your tip was helpful to them in preventing or solving a crime.  Your help could earn you a cash reward up to $2000.00!

Ontario has 38 active Crime Stoppers programs covering the entire Province, 24 of which are supported by the O.P.P.  The Crime Prevention Section is responsible for overseeing the Crime Stoppers program for the Ontario Provincial Police.

Presently there are several programs where the O.P.P. Police Coordinators work in partnership with officers from municipal services.  The results of their hard work in Ontario through 2013 has earned the various Crime Stoppers programs multiple International awards recognizing an increase in arrests, growth in property and narcotics recovered, effective media outreach (TV, Radio and Print), training initiatives and website development.

Look at the success Crime Stoppers has achieved in fighting crime in your Province - Nearly 130,700 cases cleared, more than 118,349 arrests, the recovery of stolen property and seized drugs is in excess of $2.024 Billion - that will never be sold in your community!  Anonymous tipsters have been rewarded for their information with over $7.8 Million paid out in cash.

You may contact Crime Stoppers from anywhere in Ontario at 1-800-222-8477, or by leaving an anonymous Web-Tip at TipSoft - Web Tips Submission 

Check out our most recent Crime Stoppers projects through this link: www.ontariocrimestoppers.com

Marijuana Seizure Leads to Multiple Charges

Marijuana Seizure Leads to Multiple Charges

The Manitoulin Expositor - (Date) November 1, 2014 - MOOSONEE  – Members of the Moosonee Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), working in conjunction with the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau Drug Enforcement Unit and the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, have completed an investigation resulting in two parties being charged for trafficking in a controlled substance.

On October 30, 2014 the Moosonee OPP arrested two accused upon entering Moosonee. The parties were searched incident to arrest and a substantial quantity of Marihuana was located. As a result of this investigation police seized marihuana with an estimated street value in excess of $30,000.

Jenna Lee KAPASHESIT (23) of Moose Factory, Ontario has been charged with the following:

• Trafficking a schedule II substance under 3 kilograms contrary to Section 5(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
• Possession of a schedule II substance for the purpose of trafficking under 3 kilograms contrary to Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000 contrary to section 354(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada.

Jody Nathan BIEDERMANN (29) of Moose Factory, Ontario has been charged with the following:

• Trafficking a schedule II substance under 3 kilograms contrary to Section 5(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
• Possession of a schedule II substance for the purpose of trafficking under 3 kilograms contrary to Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
• Possession of property obtained by crime under $5000 contrary to section 354(1)(a) of the Criminal Code of Canada.
• Possession of a schedule II substance under 30 grams contrary to Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Both accused have been released on a Promise to Appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Moosonee on December 2, 2014 to answer to these charges.

OPP Conduct Second Drug Arrest in Two Days

NAPS Newsroom - October 26, 2012

OPP CONDUCT SECOND DRUG ARREST IN TWO DAYS

Date of Release:  Friday, October 26, 2012 Re-released by NAPS as this was a significant seizure assisted by NAPS and the drugs are believed to have been destined for NAN communities. (COCHRANE, ON) –Following the recent arrest of three male drug traffickers in Cochrane on Thursday, October 25, 2012, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau (OCEB)-Drug Unit, along with the assistance of the Cochrane OPP and Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service Drug Unit, acted on information received that a female from Toronto was on her way to Moosonee, Ontario, and was in possession of controlled drugs. On the morning of October 26, 2012, police located and arrested the single female suspect at the train/bus station located at 200 Railway Street in Cochrane. Police conducted a search of the female’s personal backpack and seized 476.4 grams of Cannabis Marihuana, estimated to be worth just over $19, 000.   The accused, Nikeita Forbes, 21, of Toronto, Ontario has been charged with 2 counts of Breach of Probation Order, contrary to section 733.1(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada, one count of Possession Schedule II Cannabis Marihuana - under 30grams, contrary to section 4(1) of the Controlled Drug and Substance Act (CDSA), one count of Trafficking Schedule II - Cannabis Marihuana under 3 kilograms, contrary to section 5(1) of CDSA and one count of Possession for the Purpose Schedule II under 3 kg, contrary to section 5(2) of the CDSA. The accused is in custody and is to appear at the Cochrane Bail Court on November 2, 2012.

Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit Investigations

NAPS Newsroom - February 21, 2012

The Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit consists of members from The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, The Thunder Bay Police Service, The O.P.P.- Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, The R.C.M.P., and The Anishinabek Police Service. Originating Service: Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service

Date of Release: February 21, 2012 (Thunder Bay) On February 16 and 17, 2012, members of the Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit along with assistance by the Ontario Provincial Police Moosonee Detachment investigated two separate incidents of drug trafficking. Two men have now been charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

As a result of the joint investigation, police seized a total of thirty-one thousand fifty ($31,050.00) dollars worth of Marihuana, Oxycodone 20 mg pills, and Amphetamine pills. The drugs were intercepted before reaching the First Nation destinations of Moose Cree (Moose Factory) and Attawapiskat.

Thirty-nine (39) year-old Rene Allen SUTHERLAND of Timmins has been charged with three counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Twenty-six (26) year-old Calvin ECHUM of Moose Factory has been charged with one count each of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking and Breach of Undertaking.

SUTHERLAND was released on conditions and will appear in court in Moosonee, Ontario on April 10, 2012. 

ECHUM is currently being held in custody pending a bail court hearing.