WHITE SAYS HE HELPED TEEN ESCAPE CLUTCHES OF UN GANG

Crime-fighting MP Randy White said yesterday he helped a teen leave
Abbotsford to escape the clutches of a gang.

"He was kidnapped by them, he was tortured by them, and I have seen
the results of the torture," said White.

As a result of the torture, White said, the 16-year-old agreed to go
along with what the gang wanted him to do.

White said the youth feared for his life and was told the only way to
leave the gang was to go to prison or in a body bag.

"The good guys have to leave town, and the bad guys get to stay --
there is something wrong with this picture. This is Canada not
Guatemala," said White, who is quitting politics this year. "It makes
me sick . . . I can only shake my head. It's a good time to be getting
out of politics."

The boy was also removed from his school because administrators feared
he was endangering students and himself by attending.

The UN (United Nations) Gang -- so named because its members are from
diverse ethnic backgrounds -- is into drug and gun-running, extortion
and prostitution.

"They are the most feared gang in B.C. -- even the Hells Angels won't
cross them," said security company owner and former licensed
gun-dealer Barry Alden. "They are capable of reprisals that will shock
the citizenry."

Police investigated the teen's claims of intimidation, kidnapping and
torture, but no charges were laid.

"For safety reasons, we cannot discuss specific details of the case,
but I can tell you we did try to resolve the concerns expressed by the
teen and his family," Const. Casey Vinet said.

"In these types of cases cooperation is essential in order for police
to investigate effectively."

He said the UN Gang is a major player in the valley.

The gang has a core of 35 to 40 members plus their associates and has
been operating for five years.

Vinet said the presence of the UN Gang is a cause for concern rather
than alarm, noting other gangs also operate in the area.

Vinet said police school-liaison officers believe this case to be an
isolated one but added: "In light of this incident, we are moving to
focus on the issue to identify any other cases and we are encouraging
people if they feel they are being targeted by a gang to call police
for assistance."

White said without a promise of police protection many victims and
potential witnesses are wary of coming forward, fearing reprisals from
gang members.

"The question to police and school boards and municipal, federal and
provincial politicians is: 'What are you all going to do about this?'"
White asked. "What about the judges and lawyers, too? These guys are
getting off with a slap on the wrist.

"The community of these groups has got to sit down and deal with it.
You can't just sit back and say: 'It doesn't affect us personally, so
just let it ride."