ORGANIZED CRIME LOVES B.C.

Federal Report Says We Are Hub For Drug Production, Distribution

B.C. holds a prominent place in the organized crime world, according
to a recent report that says the number of gangs in Canada is on the
rise.

The 2007 annual report by the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada
indicates there are about 950 organized crime groups in the country,
up from 800 in 2006.

"This is significant and it reinforces our commitment to work together
to detect, reduce and prevent organized crime in Canada," newly-named
RCMP commissioner William Elliott said at a Calgary news conference
Friday. "The good news is that we're better at identifying these
groups than ever before."

The report identifies B.C. as a "hub" for organized crime group
activity, such as drug production and distribution.

Many of Canada's large-scale marijuana grow-ops are located in B.C.,
Ontario and Quebec, where pot is sometimes exported to the U.S. in
exchange for cocaine.

B.C. also produces much of the country's ecstasy, which is exported
all over the world, and the province is also one of the top suppliers
in Canada's domestic methamphetamine market.

The report quotes Vancouver's new police chief, who emphasizes the
negative impacts of the drug trade.

"Extremely addictive, deadly drugs such as crystal meth, heroin and
crack cocaine damage individuals, their families and society," said
Chief Jim Chu.

The report blames organized crime for much of Canada's
firearms-related violence, citing handguns as the illegal weapon of
choice for B.C.'s gangsters, compared to Eastern Canada, where long
guns are more prevalent.

But the report also shows gang-related homicides involving firearms
have not increased over the last 10 years.

"Periods of firearm-related violence develop between members of rival
crime groups, particularly street gangs, that can involve repeated
firearm-related assaults and deaths that may continue in a retaliatory
cycle. The cycle of violence tends to peak in intensity and
subsequently decline," reads the report.

The RCMP oversees the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, which is
dedicated to tackling organized crime and comprises about 380
different law enforcement agencies.