Task force formed to combat drug trade

The Newfoundland and Labrador government earmarked $1-million on Friday to fight a thriving drug trade that politicians and police say is a sorry side effect of affluence.

"As we have evolved, so has crime in our communities," said Premier Kathy Dunderdale, who participated in an announcement that will pool the resources of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and the RCMP.

"We are no longer as isolated from the continent as we once were, and as we have evolved, so too has the criminal element in our province. Crime today knows no boundaries, whether they be geographical or virtual."

Tracy Hardy, the assistant commissioner for the RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador, said organized crime has a presence in the province.

"Our intelligence is showing that there has been an increase in some violence in the province that is linked to players within the organized crime world," said Hardy.

Money provided in upcoming provincial budget

The $1 million will be incorporated into the provincial budget that Finance Minister Jerome Kennedy will bring down on Tuesday.

The RNC is responsible for policing the St. John's metropolitan area, as well as Corner Brook and western Labrador. The RCMP is largely responsible for rural communities, although some of its work crosses into urban areas.