COUPLE BAGGED IN ONGOING PRISON DRUG-SMUGGLING SAGA

Sacks to be thrown over recreation yard's double fence held $13,000 in
heroin and pot

A man and woman face multiple criminal charges for attempting to throw
drug-filled plastic grocery bags into the maximum-security prison in
Donnacona.

Stephane Vaillancourt, 36, and his girlfriend, Brigitte Savard, a
26-year-old Laval resident, were arrested near the prison around 10:30
Thursday night by a joint force of provincial police and the prison's
tactical intervention squad.

Vaillancourt was apparently about to try to throw a bag containing an
estimated $13,000 worth of heroin and marijuana over the fence around
the prisoners' recreation yard when he was nabbed.

The bag, which was sealed with black electrical tape, also contained
two syringes as well as four large, round batteries, apparently to
give it weight. Savard is alleged to have dropped Vaillancourt off
along nearby Autoroute 40 at a wooded area that leads to the prison.

A Surete du Quebec spokesperson said Savard was supposed to drive
around until Vaillancourt called her on a cellular phone to pick him
up once he'd delivered the drugs.

However, Savard, too, was intercepted by police.

According to Carl Pelletier, deputy director of the prison 30
kilometres west of the provincial capital, the two are believed to be
the authors of a similar drug-smuggling attempt last Sunday night.

A canine patrol unit found a similar bag in the ditch between the
prison's two perimeter fences around 3 a.m.

That bag contained about $21,250 worth of heroin, morphine, pot, and
more than 200 anti-depression pills.

Also in the bag were half a dozen small, square batteries.

"There wasn't enough weight for the bag to make it over both fences,"
Pelletier said.

"So the guy used bigger batteries (Thursday night). Unfortunately for
him, we'll never know if it would have worked."

The initial discovery had led police to put a recently arrived inmate
under electronic surveillance.

Pelletier said the inmate, who is serving a sentence for drug
trafficking, was heard discussing the Thursday-night attempt in detail
with Vaillancourt.

Half a dozen heavily armed members from the prison's anti-riot squad
were waiting for Vaillancourt in the woods. They let him approach the
fence and prepare to throw, then arrested him.

The two suspects appeared in Quebec Court yesterday afternoon. They
face charges of conspiracy to traffic drugs, trafficking, and
possession with the intent to traffic.

It was the second time in recent weeks the prison has been the target
of drug smugglers.

In mid-September and early October, someone tried to shoot several
drug-filled arrows and a tennis ball into the prisoners' recreation
yard.

No arrests have been made in that case. But Pelletier said the
investigation is continuing.