CANADIANS HELP TOPPLE BAHAMIAN DRUG LORD

Leader Bought $500,000 Condo In Toronto

TORONTO - A Bahamian drug lord who allegedly planned to make Toronto the
northern hub of his cocaine smuggling empire, even buying a $500,000
condominium downtown, has been indicted by U.S. authorities after a major
sweep by drug enforcement officials in the United States, the Caribbean and
Canada.

Samuel "Ninety" Knowles, who is in jail in the Bahamas on a drug
conviction, was indicted on importation and trafficking charges along with
nine other key members of his organization following a three-year
investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bahamian and
Jamaican police and the RCMP.

The U.S. government will seek to have Knowles extradited to stand trial in
Florida.

"This guy is huge ... four countries felt strongly enough about him to
participate in this investigation," said RCMP Inspector Roy Allen, the
commander of the Toronto West Drug Section.

Insp. Allen said Knowles made several trips to Toronto last summer and
bought a luxury condo and an SUV, both of which have been seized under
proceeds of crime legislation.

"He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Toronto area," Insp.
Allen said, noting that Knowles' activities in the city are still under
investigation.

Knowles, who faces a conspiracy to import charge in Canada, is allegedly
linked to four seizures of cocaine and cash in the United States since
1997, which Insp. Allen estimated to be worth $680-million.

The drugs are believed to have originated in South America and have been
brought to the Florida coast from Jamaica and the Bahamas on "go-fast
boats" -- long, narrow power boats that have three or four outboard motors
allowing them to travel at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour.

The RCMP was credited for playing a critical role in two seizures in July,
the first netting 1,260 kilos of cocaine, the second US$2.5-million in cash.

Information provided by the RCMP led U.S. police to a high-level member of
Knowles' organization, who kept the drug cash hidden in a Miami home.