Dealer-on-dealer drug crime rises in St. John's

Drug dealers in St. John's are turning on each other and often using violence toscore easy paydays, police say.

RCMP and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary investigators tell CBC News that while there is more trafficking in the city particularly of hard drugs, including cocaine there is also a noticeable increase in crime involving drug dealers themselves.

"Another big thing in the city right now is home invasions, and that's drug dealers ripping off other drug dealers for money and drugs," said Sgt. Marlene Jesso, who oversees one of the RNC's drug teams.

InApril 2009, police arrested four men for their role in a home invasion on McKenzie Street in St. John's. Suspects were allegedly looking for the money stash of Chris Webster, a known drug dealer who at the time was in jail.

His elderly aunt and uncle, though, were at home and got hurt. The four men are awaiting trial, and Webster is currently wanted on a Canada-wide warrant following a major bust earlier this year.

Residents of St. John's have become accustomed to hearing about such home invasions and other robberies. However, police say many home invasions go unreported, because the victims are in no position to complain about the loss of illegal drugs.

Police told CBC News the crimes are becoming more frequent.

"You know, there is no honour among thieves," said Const. Tim Hogan, a former undercover investigator with the RNC.

"So, if they have got $50,000 or $100,000 or a quarter of a million dollars stashed away somewhere, and they have told their good buddy at some point in time, their good buddy is going to drop a dime on him, or he is going to tell somebody."

Police tipped off

Jesso said while the robberies may not be officially reported, the police find out about them all the same.

"We hear about it all the time, from other drug dealers, that they got ripped off or somebody got ripped off by somebody else," she said.

"But they are not going to come forward. They are not going to make a complaint. It just continues to roll. And we hope that, you know, we don't get a murder or [that] some major assaults occur."

Bill Cadigan, a Crown prosecutor in St John's, said even when they are wounded or seriously injured, drug dealers refuse to talk to the police.

"One of the cops told me that he went to a call at Health Sciences [emergency room where the patient had]two puncture wounds in the bicep, one in the neck, and [left with] no statement," Cadigan said. He added the knife wounds were made "not to kill them but just [to] send a message."

Another sign of the escalating violence associated with the drug trade is the increasing number of weapons confiscated in busts.

"These things are more common," said Sgt. Smith, an undercover drugs officer with the RCMP in St. John's. For security reasons, CBC News is not using his full identity.

"We see a lot of knives, swords, baseball bats, homemade weapons, mace, bear spray, Tasers and of course firearms," he said. "A lot of them that are legitimately registered. Some that aren't."

Phil LeFeuvre, another Crown prosecutor, said a lack of firm evidence can be confounding.

"People don't want to give you a full account of what's going on, and if you read between the lines, it's pretty easy to figure out that its about a business that's illegal and it's probably the drug business."