POLICE ASK OTTAWA'S HELP TO INTERVENE WITH VIETNAM

Drug squad wants joint investigation of heroin smuggling

OTTAWA - Federal government officials are being urged by Toronto
police to do everything diplomatically possible to allow a joint
investigation by Vietnamese and Toronto police into a drug trafficking
ring that is smuggling heroin into Canada.

Police in both countries have conducted separate investigations into
the network during the past four years. Vietnam's resulted in last
week's execution of Canadian citizen Nguyen Thi Hiep, 43, by a firing
squad.

In contrast, Toronto police cleared another woman who they discovered
had been duped into carrying heroin into Canada via Pearson
International Airport, in circumstances remarkably similar to those of
the woman condemned to death in Vietnam.

In the Toronto case, three men were later convicted on drug
trafficking charges.

However, said Detective Superintendent Ron Taverner, "We feel there
are people who have not been brought before the courts in this case.
We hope to have the co-operation of the Vietnam officials to help
conclude this investigation."

During a meeting here yesterday with foreign affairs officials,
Toronto investigators formally requested that Canada ask Vietnamese
police to participate in a joint investigation of a heroin-smuggling
operation.

Toronto police also hope to turn over information to Vietnamese
authorities that may help win the release of the executed woman's
74-year-old mother, Tran Thi Cam, who is being held in a Hanoi prison.

Tran, a landed immigrant in Canada, was convicted in April, 1997, of
drug smuggling during a visit to Vietnam.

She was arrested with Nguyen at the Hanoi airport after authorities
found 5.4 kilograms of heroin in decorative panels Nguyen was carrying
out of the country.

Taverner wants to make sure justice officials in Vietnam are aware of
all the facts surrounding Toronto's investigation and the strong
similarities between the women arrested here and in Hanoi.

He said the meeting with officials was helpful in determining the next
steps.

Detective Carl Noll, a member of the special investigation services
major drug squad, said Toronto detectives believe there is substantial
evidence that must be obtained from Vietnam.

"We are anxious to work together with authorities there," he
said.

Foreign affairs officials are also planning strategies to learn from
Vietnam why the Canadian woman was executed. Although Vietnam's
ambassador to Canada had promised to have an answer to that question
by this week, he has not yet responded.

Top-level appeals had been made, including a direct request from Prime
Minister Jean Chretien to the president of Vietnam, requesting
clemency for Nguyen.

Vietnamese authorities had assured Canadian officials that Nguyen
would not be put to death until judicial officials had examined
investigative documents prepared by Toronto police.

However, those documents had not been received when the Vietnam-born
Nguyen, who became a Canadian citizen in 1991, was marched in front of
a firing squad.

Canada was notified of the execution two days later.

Taverner said he was shocked by that news.

"We were not trying to interfere with Vietnam's judicial system, but
just wanted to make sure they were aware of all the facts surrounding
the case," he said. "From our perspective, there may have been some
doubt."

Canada's ambassador was recalled from Hanoi to protest the execution,
and $16 million in aid has been put on hold.

Foreign affairs officials are trying to determine what steps can be
taken to persuade Vietnam to release Tran.