Updated
The Canadian Press
"We have contacts in all the communities," says Robert St-Jules, the RCMP staff-sergeant in charge of operations for the Montreal-based Aboriginal Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit.
St-Jules said aboriginal communities are of interest to traditional organized crime groups because in some cases they allow easy crossing between
"The intelligence clearly demonstrates that the different organizational (crime) elements within the province use the geographic location of the communities," he said.
Cpl. Francis McDougall, assistant chief of the 10-man Kitigan-Zibi police force in western
"It seems like organized criminal activities are always trying to infiltrate the First Nations reserves," he said. "You not only see it here but other First Nations communities. I'd say it's a big problem all over the place."
The unit has recorded some big busts since its inception in 2005.
Forty-five people were arrested on drug charges in its first operation - code named
Operation Concert, which hit Kitigan-Zibi and the surrounding area a year later, saw the roundup of 26 people on 113 charges including drug production and trafficking to the
Cleopatra in 2006 saw about 35 people arrested in Kanesatake,
St-Jules pointed out that $2.6 million was seized in that case along with a variety of drugs as well as 24 firearms, including a grenade launcher.
A case can be sparked either by the unit or from information received from an aboriginal police force, many of whom have had officers serving with the unit on a rotational basis.
"We gather all the intelligence and then we decide as a unit which (criminal) organization we're going to investigate strategically," St-Jules said. "The biggest thing that we look at is the impact that that investigation will have. That's very important for us."
Drugs are a major problem in First Nations communities and have been a focus for the unit, which McDougall appreciates.
"The benefit is keeping the drugs out of the community, keeping our community safe, keeping the drugs away from our children," he said in a telephone interview.
"There's so much out there now, new drugs coming up. It's unbelievable what these drugs can do to kids."
The unit operates only in
It was created after a standoff on the Kanesatake Mohawk reserve in 2004 which was sparked when aboriginal police were brought in from outside to clean up local crime.
The officers had to barricade themselves in the police station while they were surrounded and the band chief's house was burned down.
There are seven aboriginal nations in 53 communities in
Besides fighting crime and giving assistance to local First Nations investigations, the unit is a trading post of skills.
"They come and teach us their culture and we teach them different things on how to investigate organized crime," St-Jules said of the collaboration between non-aboriginal and aboriginal investigators.
"It's crucial. These investigations couldn't have been done without the integration of everybody. Everybody brings something to the table."
McDougall said the training is a boon for officers in small police forces.
"These guys we send for training bring back their expertise and inform the other officers," he said.
"They come back and they have a different perspective on how things operate, on certain ways of dealing with stuff."
McDougall noted that aboriginal police departments are usually small and lack the resources and manpower of a specialized task force.