Sixty-three people are facing a total of 89 trafficking charges on Thursday after Vancouver police concluded a two-week undercover operation targeted at street-level drug dealers in the Downtown Eastside.

Police said all were selling small quantities of crack cocaine, which is still the drug of choice on the street corners near Main and Hastings streets.

Insp. Dean Robinson says undercover officers operated on the street between July 3 and 13.
(CBC)

Insp. Dean Robinson of the Vancouver Police Department drug squad said 34 people remain in custody following the squad's second major undercover operation — called Project Tyke II — in the neighbourhood since February.

"Residents and merchants of the Downtown Eastside deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhood," Robinson said.

"This means they should be able to walk their streets without having drug deals taking place under their noses, and having drug dealers and drug purchasers lurking in alcoves and in laneways."

Police say each packaged tablet of crack cocaine sells at about $10 on the street.
(CBC)

He said drug dealers usually package crack cocaine into small $10 tablets that are easy to sell on the street.

Robinson said the sweep that began Wednesday was among the largest operations of its kind.

Vancouver police have been criticized for displacing drug dealers to other neighbourhoods and cities during these crackdowns. Robinson acknowledged that does happen, but wouldn't comment further.

He added police also acknowledge they have no control over what happens to dealers once they reach the courts.