Central St. Lawrence Valley Regional Task Force Assists Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service in Drug Search, Seizure and Arrest

Dec 12, 2007

(Akwesasne, Quebec) On December 8th , 2006, officers from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service arrested an Akwesasne, Quebec resident at his home during the execution of a search warrant. Officers seized a large quantity of marihauna and proceeds of crime. The arrest and seizures were the result of an investigation conducted by the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service Joint Investigative Team and the Central St. Lawrence Valley Integrated Criminal Intelligence Section involving the movement of the illegal substance and cash onto the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory.

A large contingent of police from the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service and the law enforcement agencies that are partners in the Central St. Lawrence Valley Regional Task Force participated in the search of the home and illegal business enterprise of John “Rocky” Skidders in the Snye portion of the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory where he was found at home with other people. Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service officers seized 117 pounds of a substance believed to be marihuana and a large amount of U.S. and Canadian currency. John Skidders, 41 years old, was arrested and charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. He was held in custody pending a hearing in Valleyfield Provincial Court.

Cst. Mike Biron of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service with seized marihuana from search at residence of accused John "Rocky" Skidders on December 8th, 2006. (Click photo to enlarge)

Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service locate 117 pounds of marihuana in a container at residence of John "Rocky" Skidders in Akwesasne. (Click photo to enlarge)

The Integrated Criminal Intelligence Section that worked with the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service in this investigation is comprised of law enforcement partners from a number of area agencies on both sides of the Canada-United States border that combine their resources to more effectively collect and share criminal information. These partners include personnel from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, New York State Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, United States Border Patrol, Cornwall Community Police Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Canadian Border Services Agency.

In fighting organized crime, no single law enforcement agency can cope alone or work in isolation. For this reason, the RCMP actively pursues partnerships with its Aboriginal, federal, provincial and municipal police and law enforcement counterparts, as well as with various regulatory agencies and the private sector. The RCMP’s overriding goal is to ensure safe homes and safe communities for Canadians. We believe that marihuana use and the criminality that surrounds it harms individuals and communities.

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