CHARGES DROPPED IN HUGE ALBERTA DRUG-GANG TRIAL

EDMONTON -- A massive drug-gang trial is falling apart after more than
one-quarter of the defendants had their charges quietly dropped over the
last month, says a defence lawyer.

Prosecutors in Edmonton stayed charges of conspiring to traffic in cocaine
against six men this week without explanation, a federal Justice official said.

A similar charge against a seventh person was stayed, or essentially
dropped, by a judge on April 30 after a funding dispute.

More than 40 people were arrested in September 1999 in Edmonton following a
series of police raids against alleged members of a drug gang.

The case was split into two proceedings last year. The first involved a
total of 26 people.

Justice Mel Binder of Court of Queen's Bench is running one trial now
covering eight people charged with being part of a criminal organization,
conspiracy to traffic in cocaine and -- for three of them -- possessing
proceeds of crime.