SECOND COKE SEIZURE

Police say the second substantial cocaine seizure at the Pacific Highway
border crossing in less than a week is further evidence of a substantial
growth in coke trafficking - fueled by the explosion of indoor marijuana
grow operations in Surrey and other Lower Mainland communities.

Local pot growers are trading potent "B.C. Bud" for cocaine that can be
sold to Canadian addicts, said Staff Sgt. Chuck Doucette, coordinator of
the RCMP's provincial drug awareness program.

"People are swapping product for product," Doucette said Friday. "You
couldn't possibly use all the dope that's being grown in this province -
most of it's going south."

Cocaine, formerly an upscale drug favoured by urban professionals, has
become less expensive and increasingly popular as an injectable drug among
hard-core addicts, Doucette said.

"What's alarming about this trend is the fact that it's harder to get
(addicts) off (injectable) cocaine."

Authorities estimate there are over 250,000 cocaine users in Canada, making
it the country's second most popular illegal drug, after marijuana.

B.C. has the highest lifetime prevalence for illicit drug use of all the
provinces in Canada, according to national surveys.

Friday, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency announced that drug sniffing
dog "North" discovered 37 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a hidden
compartment inside the trunk of a car trying to cross into Canada at the
Surrey truck crossing on Wednesday.

Kilifi DeLeon, 29, a Seattle resident with no criminal record, has being
held in custody on drug charges.

His arrest comes just six days after a Surrey man was charged with the
biggest border cocaine bust in B.C. history.

Gurjant Singh Sandhu was arrested after Canada Customs dog "Speed"
discovered cocaine in the sleeper of a north-bound semi-trailer truck at
the Pacific Highway crossing June 14.

Officers seized 49.5 kgs of cocaine and $65,000 (US) in cash - the largest
cocaine seizure ever recovered at a Western Canada land border crossing.

The drugs, with an estimated street value of $9.8 million, were "not
terribly well-hidden" in a duffel bag under the mattress board, according
to dog handler Mike Hepner, who said the cash was found in a backpack
stuffed in a compartment.

Sandhu has been ordered kept in custody until his next court appearance
June 27.

- - With files from Tracy Holmes