RCMP PAID FOR DRUG CAR

Police Also Put $5,000 On Mercedes For Hells Angel Associate

The RCMP paid for one "drug car" and made a $5,000 down payment on a
Mercedes convertible owned by a Hells Angels target, a police agent
who infiltrated the club testified yesterday.

Michael Plante told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Victor Curtis that the
so-called "drug car" -- a Saturn --was specially fashioned with a
"hollowed-out bottom and a hollowed-out trunk."

The car was designed to carry hidden cocaine shipments from B.C. to
Manitoba but was not used for that purpose, he told the judge.

The Mounties also approved the down payment on the Mercedes, which
was owned by Jonathan Bryce Jr., an associate of the East End chapter
and the son of club president John Bryce. On Sept. 15, the younger
Bryce pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking and will be sentenced Nov. 28.

Plante said that on Jan. 13, 2005 -- just before he quit as a police
agent under a contract to make up to $1 million to target the club --
he met Bryce to arrange to buy five kilograms of cocaine, at $25,000 per kilo.

Four kilograms were to have been paid for and one was "on the cuff,"
meaning on credit, he said.

Another Hells Angels target -- [Name redacted] -- was to reimburse
Plante for payment of half of the drugs, said the agent.

In other testimony, Plante said he suffered frequent "anxiety
attacks" and had to see a doctor for medication due to the strains of
leading a double life.

"It happened all the time," he said. "It got worse as the
investigation went on. Just all the stress, the pressure. Having to
lie to everybody."

Asked by prosecutor Martha Devlin whether the lies were made to his
police handlers, Plante denied doing so and insisted he meant he told
lies to his Hells Angels targets, including [Name redacted], [Name
redacted] and [Name redacted].

Plante is testifying during an application by accused methamphetamine
traffickers [Name redacted] and [Name redacted] to have their charges
stayed due to unauthorized crimes such as assaults committed by Plante.

[Name redacted]and [Name redacted] are charged on a separate
indictment and have not yet gone to trial.

The defence is expected to start calling several police witnesses,
including the men who handled Plante, in the next few days.

The courtroom continued to be under heavy security yesterday.