POLICE IDENTIFY RISE IN ORGANIZED CRIME

Number of Gangs Operating in Canada Jumps to 950: RCMP

Canadian police are tackling more organized crime this year than last,
statistics released yesterday reveal.

In its annual report on the state of organized crime, the RCMP said
the number of gangs operating in 2007 jumped to 950 from 800 in 2006.

"This is significant and reinforces our commitment to work together to
detect, reduce, and prevent organized crime in Canada," William
Elliott, the newly named RCMP commissioner, said at a news conference
in Calgary.

"The good news is that we're better at identifying these groups than
ever before."

The higher number of gangs counted this year could be a result of more
accurate reporting of their existence and better intelligence about
their activities, the report explained. Commissioner Elliott said even
further intelligence would reveal whether organized crime is really
more rampant than before.

But he stressed that, while this year's gang numbers are up, progress
is being made in fighting organized crime.

"We're encouraged because we ... know more about the number of groups,
their activities, and that is very much helping our enforcement
activities," said Commissioner Elliott.

The report provides an overview of the nature of organized crime,
where and how it's taking place, and its effects on society. It said
that crime groups can be found everywhere in Canada, from major urban
centres to rural areas, and they all have one thing in common: making
money.

"Wherever there is profit to be made, organized crime can be found,"
the study said.

The illegal drug trade still makes up the bulk of organized crime
activity in Canada, with about 80 per cent of all gangs involved in
it. The majority are growing, distributing and transporting marijuana
and much of the activity is in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.
Those provinces are also hubs for cocaine distribution to the rest of
the country once it enters Canada.

Closely connected to the drug trade is the illegal gun trade, the
report said in a feature section on firearms. Criminals need guns to
commit their crimes and for personal protection, and the drug trade
fuels the demand for guns because it is "highly competitive, extremely
profitable and consequently fertile ground for violent disagreements
between and within criminal organizations."

The report said the United States is a "significant source" of guns
smuggled into Canada and that there are unmanned border crossings that
can be exploited by criminals.

Criminals who have trouble getting their hands on guns are now turning
to the Internet for help, the RCMP noted. They are buying firearm
parts and building their own weapons with instructions available online.

Organized criminals are also using sophisticated techniques to commit
financial crimes such as mortgage fraud, identity theft and money
laundering, the RCMP said.

Buying and selling counterfeit goods is also generating billions of
dollars for crime groups in Canada. Some are also engaged in human
smuggling and trafficking.

Gangs often participating in multiple illegal markets, and when they
lack the skills to carry out certain activities, they get other gangs
to help them, the report said.

"Among the wide range of methods and practices used to commit criminal
activities, almost all organized crime groups network or collaborate
with other groups to facilitate criminality."

Commissioner Elliott said police agencies are similarly working
together to catch them.