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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Bust nets $600,000 worth of meth

By: Gabrielle Giroday

Posted: 05/11/2012 1:00 AM

A bust by the city police street gang unit has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of methamphetamine off the streets.

The bust happened after a traffic stop last Friday, leading police to about two kilograms of methamphetamine, with a street value of approximately $600,000.

Police also seized a small amount of pharmaceutical drugs such as OxyContin.

Two men were charged as a result of the bust -- which police said could have a trickle-down effect on the price of meth on the streets.

"Meth is something that we are still seeing on the streets," said Det.-Sgt. Michelle Bacik, with the organized crime unit. "It's always about supply and demand. If it's coming here, someone is using it in the city of Winnipeg."

Bacik said meth is sold in street-level doses that weigh about 1/10th of a gram and are known as a "point." The price of a "point" is currently about $30, but the price was about $50 a year ago due to lower supply.

The bust can potentially have a direct spinoff on the street price of meth, said Bacik.

"When you take something like this, I wouldn't be surprised if in a month or so that we hear that for a point, (it's) now gone up again to near $50," said Bacik.

Officers executed two search warrants at two downtown properties they didn't identify.

A 29-year-old man was charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of drug substance and possessing proceeds of crime. A 33-year-old man was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 11, 2012 B3