DRUG RING JOINTLY BUSTED

Cooperation between American and Canadian law enforcers helped bust a scheme
that saw pot airdropped into Washington State and firearms, cocaine, and
money smuggled into Canada.

Crime-fighting hands across the border brought the heavy arm of the law down
on a major, international drug ring.

Langley RCMP, U.S. Customs Service, and the Organized Crime Agency of B.C.
culminated a two-year drug-trafficking investigation this week with several
arrests and the seizure of drugs, money, property and weapons which included
tazers and crossbows.

"I believe that is is an excellent example of effective cross-border law
enforcement and the strong relationship between our agencies," said Rodney
Tureaud, special agent in charge of the U.S. Customs Office of Investigation
in Seattle, Washington.

As a result of the operation, a house in Surrey, two Mercedes-Benz cars, a
1996 Ford F350 truck, a speed-boat, and an Astar 350 helicopter were seized,
under proceeds of crime legislation.

Nine people in the United States and five in Canada, who are believed to be
the principal people involved in the ring, were arrested.

Tureaud and Sgt. Randal Elliot of the Organized Crime Agency of B.C. joined
Langley RCMP spokesman Cpl. Garry Begg on Tuesday, Jan. 23, to release of
details on the investigation.

The operations started in June, 1999, when a Canadian and an American were
arrested at Squalicum Harbor in Washington, after 32 pounds of marijuana was
found in a B.C.-registered, half-ton truck.

A month later, police were told of a Washington State resident and two
Canadians who were laundering money at a currency exchange business in B.C.
The phone number of one of the Canadians involved had surfaced during the
investigation at Squalicum Harbor.

"Everything sort of unfolded from there," said Begg.

The development of intelligence that followed lead to a number of different
busts over the following months, and included arrests by U.S. Customs and
RCMP of a number of Canadians and Americans possessing marijuana, some of
which was destined for Idaho and Oregon.

Money from drug deals and stolen property was also seized during various
arrests in the summer of 2000.

On Aug. 22, the Organized Crime Agency of B.C. set up surveillance and saw
two men leave in a helicopter from an Abbotsford home. The chopper went to a
remote logging road in the Mount Baker area, and three duffel bags were
loaded into a vehicle with Washington plates.

The car left and was seen going to a Bellingham home , where the bags were
taken out.

When the car left, it was stopped by Bellingham police, and the driver was
found to be a Surrey resident. The Bellingham house was searched, and 85
pounds of marijuana seized.

On September 10, 2000, a house in Abbotsford was searched and $250,000 U.S.,
$104,000 Canadian, three kilos of cocaine, 20 pounds of pot, two loaded
handguns, and other weapons were seized. A member of an outlaw motorcycle
gang from Calgary was at the home.

"Using a variety of policing methods and techniques, authorities on both
sides of the border developed, shared, and acted upon intelligence that
resulted in the seizure of the drugs and assets," said Begg.

"All of the Canadian principals who were involved have been arrested and
released and Langley RCMP are processing charges, under the Criminal Code
and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, against all of them," he said.

Charges will include trafficking, possession for the purpose of trafficking,
conspiracy to traffic, possess, and export, laundering the proceeds of
crime, possession of restricted and prohibited weapons, and possession of
property obtained through the proceeds of crime.