COCAINE OVER-PACKED - AIRPORT

Weight Tipped Off Officers

An overweight suitcase has led to the seizure of 50 kilograms of
cocaine.

Canada Border Services Agency officers were tipped off to one of the
biggest cocaine busts ever at Vancouver International Airport by
simply lifting two suitcases from a flight inbound from Mexico during
a tarmac examination.

"The first hint there was something unusual was the fact that when
they lifted the suitcases it was much heavier than it normally would
have been," said CBSA spokesperson Janis Fergusson.

"When they pursued it, they found cocaine bricks inside."

The officers found the 45 bricks of cocaine, worth an estimated $2
million based on a street value of $40,000 per kilo, on May 4.

"It's certainly, in recent memory, the largest seizure we've ever
had," Fergusson said. "It's the largest cocaine seizure, but I'm not
sure if it's the largest drug seizure at VIA."

As far as busts go, this one was akin to shooting fish in a barrel.

"No, they weren't hidden in any secret compartment at all," Fergusson
said.

"Once [the suitcases] were open, it was clear."

The seized drugs were turned over to members of the RCMP's drug
section.

"Just keeping the drugs off the street is the biggest reward,"
Fergusson said.

"Our officers take pride in their work and look for this sort of thing
all the time and when they make a significant seizure, it just goes to
show the work they do is important."

It was unclear where in Mexico the flight originated.

An arrest is pending, Fergusson said.

CBSA officers made more than 2,200 drug seizures last year in the
Pacific region of drugs including heroin, opium, cocaine, marijuana,
ecstacy and steroids.

There were 121 coke busts in the region in both 2005 and 2004 with
321,406 grams seized in 2004 and 184,368 grams seized last year.