EIGHT MONTHS IS ENOUGH TIME FOR COCAINE CONVICT

Eight months in jail was enough punishment for the man responsible for one
of the Valley's biggest ever cocaine seizures.

On Tuesday Provincial Court Judge Judith Kay sentenced Zachary Scott
Matheson to one day in prison, taking into consideration time he served for
an unrelated murder charge that was eventually dropped.

Crown counsel Mike Coleman agreed with the decision.

"While he was awaiting trial he spent eight months in custody - most of
that in solitary confinement for his own protection," Coleman said outside
Duncan's courthouse, adding the solitary time was similar to two years in
normal custody.

Coleman and defence lawyer Robin Baird recommended Kay consider the time
served, after Matheson pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and
marijuana for the purposes of trafficking.

"We agreed because during the last two years he's done a lot to straighten
himself out," Coleman said.

North Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP arrested Matheson, then 23, and his girlfriend
Aug. 9, 1999 after responding to reports of gunshots being fired near the
Village Green Inn.

When officers searched the room occupied by Matheson they discovered cash,
ammunition and 1.3 kilograms of powdered rock cocaine - about $100,000 worth.

At the time it was considered to be one of the largest seizures North
Cowichan/ Duncan RCMP had ever made, but it pales compared to the 2
kilograms of rock cocaine and 2.5 kilograms of marijuana seized Jan. 25
from the back of a U-Haul van at the Malahat Summit. Victoria police made
the $400,000 seizure after following the vehicle north from Victoria and
predict the drugs were destined for sale somewhere up Island or on the
Lower Mainland.

More recently, U.S. Customs officials arrested five Canadian men and seized
more than two tons of cocaine Feb. 22 near Port Angeles, WA. That load is
estimated to be worth millions.

Const. Mo Rosa said cocaine deals are common in the Valley and the supply
is plentiful, but police can't devote a lot of time to investigate the
dealings.

"I would say what you're looking at in Duncan is mostly street level
dealings," he said. "We deal with street level enforcement, meaning the
day-to-day transactions that go on in the city.

"It is time consuming and it is resource consuming, but we do it whenever
we can."