5 CANADIANS ARRESTED IN AUSTRALIA FOR COCAINE SMUGGLING

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - Five Canadian nationals and an Australian-New
Zealand dual citizen have been arrested in Australia for allegedly
smuggling 135 kilograms of cocaine from Canada concealed in computer
monitors, police said Thursday.

The men were also charged with smuggling 120,000 ecstasy tablets found
by customs officials in the same shipping container of computer
equipment at the eastern coast port city Brisbane on Sept. 8, police
said in a statement.

Police described the seizure as the fifth-largest of cocaine in
Australian history.

The five Canadians were arrested at various locations across Brisbane
and the Australian-New Zealand dual citizen in Sydney late Wednesday,
police said.

Australian Federal Police manager Mike Phelan said Canadian
law-enforcement authorities were also investigating the shipment.

"The AFP believes the people who have been arrested and charged in
this operation were part of a highly sophisticated international
drug-importation and distribution network," Mr. Phelan said.

"The AFP is currently liaising with its law-enforcement colleagues in
Canada and conducting further inquiries in relation to this
significant importation and the international syndicate allegedly
responsible for it," he added.

The six men appeared in courts in Brisbane and Sydney on Thursday.
They each face sentences of life imprisonment and the equivalent of
more than $700,000 fines.

One of the Canadians, #####, 29, of Abbotsford, B.C.,
was denied bail and did not enter pleas when be appeared in Brisbane
court. He was scheduled to appear again later Thursday with the other
Canadians.

His lawyer Peter Shields told the magistrate that Mr. ### is a
father of three who was on vacation in Australia.

The Australian who was allegedly to take delivery of the drugs
######, 62, was ordered by a Sydney magistrate Thursday to remain in
custody until his next court appearance Wednesday. He entered no plea.