DRUG TRAFFIC GROWING

KITTERY, Maine - Police last month confiscated the largest seizure of
crack cocaine in state history, but the war against drugs is far from
over, authorities said Wednesday morning.

Detective Steve Hamel confirmed that Kittery investigators, in
collaboration with other local law enforcement officials, are
currently working on two other large drug cases and that more arrests
are imminent in the near future.

"These arrests will create a large dent in drug trafficking in our
area," Hamel said. "However, in the drug trade, another dealer will
take the place of whomever we take off the streets and the cycle just
starts all over again."

Drug trafficking has grown significantly in southern Maine, according
to York Detective Tom Cryan.

"I believe there's a lot more drug activity in this area than there
used to be," Cryan said, "but the last two years, I've seen dramatic
changes."

Cryan said he has forwarded many cases to both the federal and state
drug enforcement agencies.

Last week, York police assisted the federal Drug Enforcement
Administration in arresting three people on charges of possession of
heroin with the intent to sell. They were identified as: Frank
McQuade, 24, of Eber Road in Cape Neddick; Shannah L. Vigue, 23, of
59 York St., York; and Matthew Stone, 26, of 17 Green Acre, York.

On April 5, authorities arrested three people in Kittery and
confiscated half a kilogram of crack cocaine, with an estimated
street value of about $200,000 - the largest bust in Maine state
history, Hamel said.

The suspects, all from Lawrence, Mass., were arrested at the outlet
malls on Route 1 following a two-month undercover investigation
involving the FDA, Massachusetts State Police, and the Kittery and
Brunswick police departments.

Police said the Seacoast's drug problem continues to grow.

According to Hamel, 90 percent of all violent crimes in this country
are directly related to drugs.

Hamel, who has spent several years working as an undercover agent
with the Maine Drug Task Force, said drug trafficking has increased
dramatically in the Seacoast over the past two years.

The Seacoast has ample transportation now with a new rail system,
buses and two small airports in Portland and Portsmouth. The local
transportation system is not only efficient and convenient for
residents, police said, but also for drug traffickers throughout New
England and beyond.

"The train service, bus stops and airports have opened up the
convenience of getting drugs at the street level," Cryan said. "You
don't necessarily have to drive to Lowell or Lawrence (Mass.) now.
And like Kittery, the problem with York is that there are two major
highways - Route 1 and I-95 - bringing more traffic into town."

Heroin, crack, Ecstasy and Oxycontin are becoming more popular and
those drugs are easily accessible, Cryan and Hamel said.

"Anybody and everybody has the ability to contact someone - from the
street-level dealer to the white-collar man - for drugs," Hamel said.

Cryan said heroin is often the drug of choice because it's
inexpensive and easy to find on the streets.

"What concerns me now is that people are using heroin and they're not
aware of the strength of what they are taking," he said, "and that
can end in deadly consequences."

Unfortunately, drug trafficking problems on the Seacoast are going to
get worse before they get any better, Cryan said.

In York, patrol officers have been diligent with consent searches
when they have motor vehicle stops and that seems to help with
getting drug dealers off the street, Cryan said.

Detective Hamel said he would like to see the police departments in
the southern Maine area form a joint drug task force to help keep
narcotics, as well as the problems that typically go hand in hand
with drugs, out of this area.

Eliot Cpl. Jeff Shisler said a drug task force would be very
beneficial to the smaller police departments.

With the already burgeoning case load that state and federal agencies
are facing, it's difficult to get assistance in the smaller towns,
Shisler said.

"It comes down to a manpower and funding issue," Shisler said. "We
would definitely be able to utilize resources with a task force."

Shisler also said education can help keep drug use down.

"We try to educate the public through D.A.R.E. and other programs,"
he said. "Through education, training and awareness, we can help to
keep the demand down."