Seven people have been arrested and three more are being sought by the RCMP in an undercover drug bust operation known as “Operation Miner.”
Undercover police bought cocaine and marijuana from the various dealers over the last three weeks.
“Ninety per cent of the drug purchases made by our undercover officers were cocaine,” said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Mark Groves.
The RCMP’s drug section and street-crimes team made their move on Wednesday with warrants for the arrest of six dealers.
The RCMP seized $30,000 in cash and $120,000 worth of cocaine during the blitz.
The 26 ounces of cocaine were in half-gram bags, the last level before they hit the street, said Groves.
“We seized over 1,500 half-gram bags,” he said.
The arrests went smoothly, he said. Many of those arrested are transients who live around the city and the RCMP is scouring the city for the remaining three dealers for whom they have warrants.
“They are living in various locations around the city,” said Groves.
All the undercover purchases were made in Whitehorse, said Groves, and the cocaine was likely from British Columbia or Alberta.
The drug ring wasn’t necessarily connected, he said.
“In this case, there were targets that were bought off of as well as subsequent targets (who had purchased from the larger dealers).”
“I don’t believe these are part of the same organized group,” he said.
The suspects in custody include Trish James, 21, who was arrested on two counts of cocaine trafficking. Jesse Lee Loyer, 31, was arrested on seven counts of drug trafficking and breaching probation orders. Jason Richard Crompton, 25, was arrested on three counts of drug offences and breaking court orders. James Campbell, 39, was arrested on two counts of trafficking cocaine. Sean Kevin Carr, 39, was arrested on four counts of trafficking-related crimes.
Another male, 27, couldn’t be named because he is scheduled to appear in court on February 25 in another case.
The man most recently arrested will be appearing in court today, when his name will be released.
The RCMP will hold the drugs during the court proceedings. After that, Health Canada oversees the destruction of the drugs.
Contact James Munson at
jamesm@yukon-news.