UNION OFFICIAL ARRESTED IN COKE BUST

U.S. Border Patrol Finds 136 Lbs. of Drug

A trail of footprints in freshly fallen snow led U.S. border police
to a major cocaine-smuggling bust in the back roads of Washington
State, ending in the arrest of a B.C. union official.

At 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 18, a sensor on a road in northeastern
Washington, near the B.C. border, was activated. When a border patrol
agent arrived to check out the alarm, according to a sworn affidavit,
he encountered a dark-coloured Toyota pickup truck coming out of a
back road and heading south.

The agent then headed up the back road, following tire tracks until
he saw footprints leading to and from the place where the pickup had
turned around. The agent saw two people with backpacks in the snow
about 13 metres from the road, under bushes. One fled toward the
Canadian border; the other stayed behind and was arrested.

According to the affidavit, 136 pounds (about 62 kilograms) of
cocaine with a street value of $4.3-million (U.S.) was found in the
two backpacks. U.S. customs said a Canadian citizen was arrested on
drug charges and illegal entry.

According to the affidavit, Perley Edmund Holmes of Bridesville,
B.C., is charged with possession with intent to distribute five or
more kilograms of cocaine.

Mr. Holmes is the business manager for Local 97 of the Canadian
Ironworkers union in B.C. Local president Dave Beatty said Mr. Holmes
is no longer being paid, although his position is not vacant.

Mr. Holmes is also a well-known Liberal supporter, Mr. Beatty said,
having backed the federal party at least since Jean Chretien was
leader. He contributed $100 to the campaign of current leader
Stephane Dion. Mr. Holmes was among several hundred people who wrote
comments of support to Mr. Dion's website. The message no longer
appeared on the site late yesterday, although it was available
through a cached version at Google.com.