POLICE SEIZE DRUGS, CASH, CARS IN BUST

Search Warrants Executed From Feb. 6-9 Also Uncovered Weapons

Vancouver police have seized almost five kilograms of crystal
methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $490,000, but a
senior officer hopes the additional seizures of cash and cars will
send a even stronger message to drug traffickers.

When police executed search warrants between Feb. 6 and 9 in
Vancouver, they also found $212,000 in Canadian currency -- money
investigators believe was meant for another drug purchase by what they
described as a "mid-level" West End-based drug trafficking operation.

Police also seized a 2006 Porsche, a 2006 Mercedes, a 2004 Honda, a
.22- calibre rifle and a replica handgun.

Proceeds of crime legislation, which was passed in Canada in 1989, is
directed at identifying, assessing, restraining and forfeiting illicit
and unreported wealth accumulated through criminal activities. During
a five-year RCMP operation that concluded in 1997, proceeds of crime
legislation was used in B.C. to seize more than $17 million in assets,
including an ocean freighter, eight luxury homes and $1 million in
cash and jewelry.

Insp. Dean Robinson, who was appointed the head of the city police
department's drug and gang section last year, suggested the pursuit of
drug-derived assets was a new priority for the city police department
during drug trafficking investigations.

"Our commitment now is that we're trying to make it more expensive for
drug dealers to do their business in the city of Vancouver," he told a
news conference Friday.

"Along with criminal charges, we're going to aggressively go after the
heart of their operations. Most of these criminals value their assets:
money and property."

Robinson said the three cars were seized under provisions of the
federal proceeds of crime law. If the accused are convicted of the
drug crimes and a judge rules their assets were likely derived from
the profits of crime, the assets will be forfeited and become the
property of the federal government.

Robinson also noted the police can initiate a civil suit if an accused
criminal is not convicted.

"After that, if we have to be whistle-blowers, we can get Revenue
Canada involved and focus on individuals who have little or no
declared income but are compromised by being in possession of tens of
thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars, along with drugs that
equate to similar sums of money," he said.

"That's the leverage we're going to apply."

DRUGS AND MONEY

Drug traffickers make big profits from the street-level sales of
crystal meth, a highly addictive drug.

- - Quantity seized: 4.9 kg

- - Wholesale: $25,000 per kg

- - Street level: $100,000 per kg

- - Total value on the street: $490,000

Source: Vancouver police department