ONE MORE REASON TO KEEP YOUR WITS TRAVELLING ABROAD

Drug dealers may be targeting unsuspecting drivers to bring drugs
across the border.

News that drug dealers may be targeting seniors to get narcotics
across the Blue Water Bridge at Sarnia is unsettling to say the least.

The traffickers are fastening drugs to cars, then attaching a
tracking chip while the vehicle is still in the United States.

Once the traveller returns home, drug dealers locate the car with a
GPS tracking system and remove the contraband.

Seniors are apparently favourite targets because border guards tend
not to be suspicious of them.

One man told our sister paper, The Sarnia Observer, that he found a
microchip in his car after visiting a Michigan coffee shop last
month. Some time later he found a white powder residue beneath the bumper.

Although this is not conclusive evidence, it certainly looks as if he
was used as a drug mule.

Police say they have heard other reports of criminals hiding things
in parked cars, then following the vehicle across the border.

This is especially worrisome because if you are caught with drugs in
your car, you could have a very hard time proving your innocence. And
if you are arrested in Michigan it could mean a very long prison
sentence because American judges tend to take a dim view of drug dealers.

Police in Ontario correctly point out that combating such crime is
difficult. They have some sound advice for people who shop in the U. S.

"We would encourage anyone shopping across the border to park their
vehicle on the beaten path where there is bound to be lots of traffic."

Of course you can't keep an eye on your car every minute of the day.
But this is one more reason why you should keep alert when you're
travelling outside the country.