COCAINE DEALER GETS 10 YEARS

Vietnamese Refugee Used Family Members to Operate Drug Network

EDMONTON - A judge sentenced a 51-year-old Vietnamese refugee Friday
to 10 years in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking operation
that brought 4.5 kilograms of the drug into the city.

"It was not a large operation," Justice Brian Burrows, of the Court of
Queen's Bench, said as he sentenced Thanh Lam. "The amount of cocaine
was large, but I have seen larger."

Lam's part in the operation was to buy cocaine from distributors in
British Columbia and bring it to Edmonton. He would then sell it to
his son-in-law and his son-in-law's brother, using his daughter as a
go-between. "They prepared the cocaine for sale through street
sellers," Burrows said of the two men.

Lam arrived in Canada via a Hong Kong refugee camp more than two
decades ago. He worked in kitchens of various restaurants and as a
janitor since arriving in this country and he has claimed that after
those jobs he made his living by gambling.

Lam conducted his drug deals from Oct. 23 to Dec. 11, 2000. Police
evidence was collected using taps on his phone and intercepted pager
messages. Most of those phone calls and messages had hidden meanings
and had to be deciphered.

Lam's case became the longest criminal trial in Alberta history,
running 147 days. On Nov. 14, Burrows found a co-accused in the trial,
Brian Trieu, not guilty of conspiracy. Trieu, who operated a cellphone
firm, admitted he knew he was supplying phones and service to members
of a drug ring, but Burrows ruled there was no evidence he assisted
anyone to enter into the conspiracy.

Crown prosecutor Donna Valgardson had asked that Lam be sentenced to
18 to 20 years in prison with a special order requiring him to serve
half the term before being eligible for parole.

Valgardson pointed out that since Lam had no previous federal record
and his crime was not violent, he would receive an automatic
accelerated parole after serving one-sixth of his sentence.

Lam's lawyer suggested a sentence of six to eight years. Seven others
arrested in the case earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and
received sentences ranging from two to six years.

In sentencing Lam to 10 years, Burrows refused to invoke the special
measure that would require him to serve at least half his sentence
before being eligible for parole.