A 16-year-old who spent an afternoon visiting various tent encampments around Hamilton is facing trafficking charges.
Police say that several teenagers were arrested on Tuesday after they were seen visiting multiple encampments around town.
Eventually, officers made their arrest after watching one of them making an open-air drug deal.
Of the three teenagers arrested, one was charged with several trafficking charges.
During their arrest, officers seized 2.35 grams of fentanyl, 19 hydromorphone pills and $74.30.
The incident began on Tuesday near Wellington Street South and Hunter Street East when police witnessed a youth enter a tent while another kept watch outside.
Shortly afterwards, they proceeded to another encampment at Bishop’s Park on East Avenue South and Hunter Street East.
“Again, one youth entered a tent while the other kept watch outside,” police say.
The pair of teens then continued to Ferguson Station to meet up with a third teen.
While there, one of the three teens pulled out a digital scale and weighed out a substance before making a hand-to-hand drug deal, police say.
At that point, all three were arrested, however, only one was charged.
The drugs seized from the 16-year-old were said to have a street value of $600.
They were held in custody and made to attend a court hearing on May 29.
In Canada, those under who break the law and are under the age of 17 fall under the the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Part of the law protects the privacy of anyone deemed a “young person,” and prohibits the reporting of their identity.
