AIRPORT RCMP TEAMS TARGET ORGANIZED CRIME

The RCMP has new teams at international airports in Vancouver, Toronto, and
Montreal to fight organized crime, an RCMP spokesman said Thursday.

Jean-Yves Ducharme told reporters the teams' top target is illegal drugs,
followed by criminal involvement in hazardous waste.

Crime syndicates in the United States are already involved in the illegal
storage and disposal of hazardous waste, and the problem is now surfacing
in Canada, Ducharme said.

"We know that organized crime has many means," he said.

Ducharme conceded illegal hazardous waste could have an effect on the
environment and Canadians' health.

"We're investigating it."

The airport teams consist of a total of 40 RCMP officers who have
experience in combatting illegal drugs, money-laundering, smuggling and
contraband.