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Undercover sting breaks up parolee drug-selling ring

Five convicted men back behind bars

A drug-trafficking network operated by five men paroled from federal prison has been stamped out by undercover officers.

Eight Victoria Strike Force and High Risk Offender police officers began investigating the case earlier this year, after receiving information about the illicit network.

There was not enough evidence to implicate four of five suspects, but all of their paroles have been revoked and they are back in prison, said Victoria police spokesperson, Const. Mike Russell.

They were serving time for offences ranging from dangerous driving to murder.

Whether the men are originally from Victoria or if they were staying in a Victoria halfway house at the time of the undercover sting could not be confirmed by police.

One of the men, John Wesley Shaw, 37, who was serving a four-year sentence for several offences, has since pled guilty to selling an undisclosed amount of cocaine to undercover officers, said Russell. He did not know where the transaction took place.

One intelligence and analysis officer makes up VicPD's High Risk Offender unit. It is his responsibility to ensure parolees and high-risk offenders in Victoria and Esquimalt are abiding by the conditions of their release.

The officer works with other police and parole officers on a regular basis.

emccracken@vicnews.com