POLICE PLUG LUCRATIVE MARIJUANA PIPELINE

Raids Target City's Growing Drug Ties To U.S.

A crackdown by Calgary police on high-grade pot growers is paying off in
spades as city drug cops, who have already seized $5.5 million in
marijuana in four months, clear the way to bust more than $12 million
this year.

A blitz comes amidst reports a pound of Calgary's potent, home-grown
marijuana is fetching about $12,500 US on the streets of New York,
trading on par with a pound of cocaine, says a city drug cop.

American drug enforcement agencies have acknowledged high-grade Prairie
and B.C. marijuana is being trafficked directly into the U.S. to New
York and California.

A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration report, released last December,
said even though Canada is not their primary supplier of marijuana, they
are "concerned drug traffickers in Canada will escalate the smuggling of
Canadian-grown marijuana to U.S. drug markets."

Drug unit Det. Gord Renke, commander of the department's Green Team,
said the trafficking trend has Calgary cops working double time to crack
down on grow house operations.

In four months the team has already surpassed marijuana plant seizures
for all of 2000, which is estimated at $5 million.

"The U.S. is saturated with cocaine, but not so much with marijuana,"
said Renke, a former undercover officer.

The hallucinogenic property in marijuana, the chemical THC, has risen
from about two or three per cent to 20 per cent and beyond since the
1960s. One kilogram of marijuana fetches between $6,000 and $10,000 on
the street.

"Historically, (British Columbia) has a good reputation for bud
(marijuana), but Alberta unfortunately, is making a name for itself in
that respect," he said.

Alberta Bud literally refers to the bud of the female cannabis plant,
rich in THC. It has become synonymous with high-grade pot.

The demand for Calgary "stink weed" is so great, Renke and his Green
Team officers have stepped up their investigations into the estimated
200 grow operations throughout the city, busting at least one operation
every second day. In April alone, the team seized more than $2.6 million
in weed, roughly 2,000 marijuana plants, 20 guns, and took hundreds of
rounds of ammunition off Calgary streets.

"Years and years ago, the technology behind how to grow dope would be
like someone growing it in their garden," said Renke.

"Now you have a real technology, a real science behind it. You can
completely control the light, the darkness, the complete environment.
There are all these nutrients that you can feed your plants, so it is
significantly healthier than it was 20 years ago."

The latest crackdown directive is a result of new leadership.

Last November, police Chief Jack Beaton officially took over the reins
of Calgary's police service. Within days of the changeover, Beaton
promised he would increase resources to fight drug cultivation and
dealing in the city.

In the last round of budget negotiations with city council, Beaton
successfully argued for seven new officers to be assigned to the drug
unit.

"(The Green Team) is so busy. We have a high number of hydroponic grow
operations in the city of Calgary, and we're getting tip after tip on
them," said Beaton.

"When we get (tips) were going to act on them, so if anyone has a grow
out there you know that the Green Team with its other resources will be
knocking on your door."

In a recent police survey, Calgarians said drugs are sixth in a line of
concerns about crime in the city.

If the Green Team continues at its current pace, it's on course to wipe
an estimated $12 million in marijuana off the streets this year.

"I think we're getting the point across that there is a Green Team out
there, and we are successful," said Renke.

"We are starting to hear that more and more people are tearing down
their operations because they don't want it busted."

The drug unit has also seized a number of hard narcotics, such as the
popular rave drug ecstasy, and cocaine since the beginning of the year.

Last week, drug cops seized two kilograms of cocaine during a bust.

"Please believe me, it is all classifications of drugs being seized by
our drug unit," said Beaton.

"I am extremely proud. (The officers) know what drugs can do to your
community and they're out there making sure it doesn't hurt our
community as much as it could."