RCMP FEARS GANG WARFARE OVER MARIJUANA OPERATIONS

OTTAWA -- Lax laws have made Canada and especially B.C. a "haven" for
indoor marijuana-growing operations, raising fears of a violent turf war in
the Lower Mainland between the Hells Angels and Vietnamese gangs, according
to an RCMP report.

The analysis from the RCMP's Criminal Intelligence Directorate reveals that
Vietnamese gangs, known for their "extreme violence," have been steadily
encroaching on the lucrative pot-growing industry historically controlled
by outlaw bike gangs in Ontario and especially B.C.

"The gradual arrival of Asian criminals in the marijuana-growing business
in British Columbia originally raised serious concerns within the
law-enforcement community about a potential all-out turf war with the Hells
Angels," according to the report from the RCMP's Criminal Intelligence
Directorate.

Instead, the two groups have opted for "respective tolerance" and in some
cases have engaged in joint ventures.

"Since no one can predict how long this tacit peace agreement will last,
police will have to closely monitor the situation to identify any change
that could point towards a reversal of situation."

The RCMP report, completed in November and quietly put on the RCMP Web site
late last month, says the industry is surging across Canada, with
cultivation operations concentrated in Ontario, Quebec, and B.C.

"It is in British Columbia that the situation is by far the most dramatic,"
the report states.

The latest figures from Statistics Canada show that 44 per cent of Canada's
cultivation "incidents" are reported in B.C., compared to 28 per cent in
Quebec and 16 per cent in Ontario.

The report is also blunt in saying police need tougher laws and more
resources to fight the enormous growth in the cultivation industry, which
was once dominated by hippies but is now controlled by extremely violent
criminals.

"High profitability, low risk, and relatively lenient sentences continue to
entice growers and traffickers, making it difficult, if not impossible, for
law enforcement agencies to make a truly lasting impact on the marijuana
cultivation industry in Canada."

Solicitor-General Wayne Easter, who met with the RCMP in Surrey last month
to discuss the issue, said the federal government intends to tackle the
issue and will consider passing tougher sentencing laws.

"We have to ensure the deterrents are in place to stop this growth of
marijuana grow ops and in fact get rid of them," Easter told The Vancouver
Sun Thursday.

"I think in the coming weeks we'll see the results of discussions which
will hopefully move us forward on this issue"

The RCMP report cites a study by the University College of the Fraser
Valley, which examined close to 12,000 pot cases in B.C. between 1997 and 2000.

Jail terms were imposed in only 18 per cent of the cases and the average
length of the jail term was just under five months. A grower guilty of
possessing 45 kilograms of marijuana will face at worst two years less a
day, which means the sentence is served in a provincial rather than federal
institution.

"An individual convicted of the same crime in the United States will get
between 33 and 87 months in a federal institution, depending on his/her
criminal history."

Canadians who dismiss marijuana as a harmless drug should think twice, the
RCMP warns.

"The link between marijuana cultivation and organized crime cannot be
over-emphasized, and neither can the consequences for society. The huge
profits associated with grow operations are used by many criminal groups to
purchase other much more dangerous drugs or even weapons, and finance
various illicit activities."

Vietnamese gang activity in Vancouver's cannabis cultivation industry has
increased almost 20-fold between 1997 and 2000, according to police data.

"Their number [in Vancouver] has since increased almost exponentially, to
the point where today, virtually every sizeable operation found in that
city is now linked to Vietnamese-based organized crime groups," the report
states.

"Southeast Asian growers have gradually expanded their operations to the
suburbs of the Greater Vancouver Area, as well as to other cities across B.C."

Canadian Alliance MP Chuck Cadman said the government doesn't appear aware
of the gravity of the indoor grow-ops phenomenon, despite Easter's recent
visit to B.C. to discuss the matter.

"These are occurring in upscale homes that cost in excess of half a million
dollars each. These homes are being paid for with bags of money," said
Cadman (Surrey North).

"And they're in neighbourhoods where there's children playing. Organized
crime is involved. Some of these places are booby trapped. There are
drive-by shootings. There's been attempted murders."