NO TERROR LINKS, DRUG SUSPECT'S WIFE INSISTS

Iranian Immigrant Arrested For Heroin. Terrorism Story Is 'Discrimination,'
She Says, Leaked By Police To Punish Prisoner

The wife of a man arrested last week on drug charges calls allegations that
he could be linked to terrorist activity "ridiculous."

The organized crime division of the Montreal police arrested Mohammadi
Kambiz, 37, on Thursday, and found two kilograms of heroin in his vehicle.
A published report yesterday said police also found documents belonging to
someone who had recently arrived in Canada to take aviation courses, and
another individual's applications for a job at Dorval airport.

But Kambiz's wife, who didn't want her name used, said yesterday that while
her husband has a drug problem and needs help, the leaked information is
nothing more than discrimination.

The person taking aviation courses is her brother, who studied to be an
aviation electrician at College Edouard Montpetit. He and a friend applied,
like their fellow students, for jobs with companies like Air Canada and
Bombardier, and used the car to go to interviews.

"How can they play with people's reputations like this?" Kambiz's wife
asked. "It's disgusting. Would they have done this to people who weren't
from the Middle East?"

The woman, a Canadian citizen originally from Iran, says she believes the
police may have leaked the information to punish Kambiz because he refused
to identify others involved in the drug scene - in order to protect his
wife and his 7-month-old son. She said an offer from prosecutors to get
Kambiz drug therapy was suddenly withdrawn yesterday morning, perhaps also
to punish him.

Montreal police refused to confirm or deny yesterday they are investigating
any terrorism connections to Kambiz. Commander Pierre Cadieux would not say
whether anything else was found inside the car during the arrest.

"It is currently under investigation and I cannot comment any further on
the details because it could jeopardize the investigation," Cadieux said.

Cadieux would not say, either, whether other police forces are involved in
the investigation and an RCMP spokesperson in Ottawa declined to comment on
another force's investigation.

"There are many elements that were false and alarming in the news reports,"
Cadieux said. "What I can confirm is Kambiz was arrested last week."

The Immigration and Refugee Board said Kambiz has a file but it was
unavailable for viewing yesterday because it is archived in Ottawa.