BORDER GUARD PROBE WIDENS

Smuggling Ring. Court Papers Suggest More Than One Corrupt

More questions are being raised about Canada's border security as
additional details surface about a drug trafficking ring that gives
new meaning to free trade. Court documents filed in the United States
about a drug trafficking ring that was recently broken up in Montreal
suggest the ring had more than one Canadian border guard within its fold.

On Thursday, the RCMP announced the arrests of seven people,
including James Munro, a 26-year-old border guard employed by the
Canadian Border Services Agency who worked at the Lacolle border crossing.

Munro was the only CBSA employee arrested in an investigation that
centred on an attempt by people based in Montreal and New Brunswick
to smuggle 500 kilograms of Colombian cocaine into Canada. He was in
court in St. Jean sur Richelieu yesterday for a bail hearing, and
will learn Tuesday if he is to be released while he faces eight
criminal charges.

Two Quebecers who allegedly took part in the conspiracy were arrested
in Florida on Tuesday and charged with bringing 25,000 MDMA, or
ecstasy, pills into the U.S. as part of a deal made with an American
who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent.

The two men - alleged ringleader Sylvain Levert, 41, of Chambly, and
Serge (Frenchy) Desilets, 54, of Maniwaki - were charged in Florida.
Affidavits filed in their cases suggest the pair counted on more than
one customs agent to smuggle drugs in and out of Canada.

They are suspected of conspiring to smuggle drugs - including
marijuana and ecstasy - into the United States in exchange for
cocaine smuggled into Canada.

According to one affidavit, Desilets was introduced to the undercover
agent in May 2007, after a Florida man caught with about 11 kilograms
of marijuana decided to co-operate with authorities by revealing his
supplier. By Aug. 7, 2007, Desilets told the undercover agent he felt
comfortable enough to do business with him and was willing to sell
him large quantities of hydroponic marijuana grown in Canada.

"Desilets stated that he could get people into and out of Canada
without their having to pass through customs," the affidavit says.

Desilets's alleged claim is one of several references in the
affidavit in which he and Levert claimed to control border agents.

During their first face-to-face meeting in Vermont on Oct. 11, 2007,
the undercover agent and Desilets discussed trading more than 400
kilograms of marijuana grown in Canada for 150 kilograms of cocaine
from the U.S.

During the meeting: "Desilets advised that his organization utilizes
a customs border agent to assist their smuggling operation,"
according to the affidavit.

Five days later, Desilets wanted to renegotiate the ratio of drugs to
be traded with the undercover agent. According to the affidavit,
during the same conversation: "They also discussed the corrupt
customs border official in New Brunswick."

The "border official" in question is not named in the court document,
but the general description suggests it is someone other than Munro.

During Thursday's news conference, RCMP Staff. Sgt. Andre Potvin
would only say it is possible other border agents would be
investigated. Yesterday, RCMP Cpl. Elaine Lavergne repeated Potvin's
comment, but noted no charges have been filed against other CBSA personnel.

"Not yet," she added.

In November, the undercover agent was finally introduced to Levert.
According to the affidavit, Levert told the agent he was able to
distribute 300 kilograms of cocaine a month in Montreal and boasted
of ties to a Colombian cartel, as well as to Canadian organized crime
groups including the Hells Angels, the Mafia and the West End Gang.
The Chambly resident also claimed to make the best MDMA in Canada and
boasted he had considerable influence over the sale of ecstasy in Quebec.

But Levert complained of lacking someone who could smuggle cocaine
from countries such as Venezuela and Colombia into the U.S. He told
the undercover agent that "he could thereafter transport the cocaine
into Canada because he is working with corrupt customs officials in
the United States and Canada."