DRUG DEALER PAYS RCMP $1 MILLION

Who says crime doesn't pay? Edmonton drug dealer Andy Polo's crimes
have paid the RCMP $1 million.

The 38-year-old man was sentenced to two years in prison yesterday in
provincial court after pleading guilty on Aug. 19 to income tax
evasion and the possession of property obtained from crime.

However, court heard that Polo forked over almost $1.3 million in cash
to police as part of a deal in which he agreed to forfeit assets
obtained from trafficking in marijuana products between 1989 and 1997.

"It is probably the second biggest forfeiture made in Alberta
history," said federal Crown prosecutor Cynthia Dickins, adding that
$1 million went to the RCMP and $282,236.39 went to Revenue Canada.

Court heard that a lengthy RCMP investigation had revealed that Polo
enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle and acquired significant proceeds
from selling narcotics, particularly cannabis products.

Dickins said Polo participated in expensive sporting activities, went
to rock concerts all across Canada, took vacations in foreign
countries and owned numerous sports cars and recreational vehicles.

Yet throughout the police investigation he had no legitimate job, no
social insurance number, no credit rating and had never filed an
income tax return, said Dickins, adding Polo used only cash for his
expenses. He also used an alias and had other people buy and hold his
property for him, she said. A financial profile of Polo was done by
the RCMP Integrated Proceeds of Crime Section and an agreed-upon
figure for how much money he made selling drugs was set at $1 million.

As well, it was agreed that as a result of income earned from selling
cannabis products between 1990 and 1996, Polo evaded $282,236.39 in
federal taxes.

Polo was also fined the same amount but instead of paying it, he was
allowed to serve one day in jail, which was served with yesterday's
court appearance.

Thirteen other charges, including laundering the proceeds of crime and
several of trafficking in a narcotic, were withdrawn by the Crown.

An RCMP officer involved in the case said the money forfeited by Polo
would go directly to the federal government's general revenue coffers.

He added the sports cars and other property seized were returned.
Police believe the biggest forfeiture in Alberta history was $2.2
million turned over after the 1992 arrest of an Edmonton restaurateur
on cocaine-trafficking charges.