DOZENS IN US, CANADA ARRESTED

More than 65 people, including a Mississippi woman, were arrested by
federal agents in 10 U.S. cities and Canada on Tuesday as the result of an
18-month investigation targeting the illegal importation of pseudoephedrine.

Pseudoephedrine is one the main ingredients in the production of crystal
methamphetamine.

Kimberly Easterling, 30, of Picayune was arrested at her home about 8:30
a.m. Tuesday and charged with conspiracy to possess pseudoephedrine with
intent to manufacture methamphetamine, officials said.

In Mississippi, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of
methamphetamine labs discovered the past few years.

Officers seized 57 labs in 1999, 115 labs in 2000 and 201 labs in 2001, the
latest year statistics are available.

"More emphasis has been put on finding them," said Jim Hawkins, head of the
High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force in Rankin County.

The federal investigation, dubbed Operation North Star, also targeted
people in Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and Cincinnati; and in Vancouver,
British Columbia; Montreal; Quebec; Windsor; Ottawa and Ontario, Canada,
officials said.

Among the people arrested Tuesday were six executives from three Canadian
chemical companies who are accused of selling bulk quantities of
pseudoephedrine to methamphetamine manufacturers in the United States,
according to a news release from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

"They did so with the full knowledge that their sales were intended for the
illegal production of highly addictive and dangerous drug methamphetamine,"
the release said.