POLICE TRYING HARD TO CONTROL `EXPLODING' GLOBAL DRUG TRADE

Cannabis production is growing so fast, police can barely keep pace,
delegates at a cannabis trafficking conference heard yesterday.

"Drug-trafficking syndicates in certain parts of the world are
attempting to conquer territories and build up new business
enterprises. The global drug trade is exploding," said Ramachandra
Sundaralingam, an Interpol drugs expert from France. Between 60 and 70
law-enforcement workers attended the two-day conference, organized by
the RCMP and Interpol.

"Unlike heroin and cocaine, which have limited markets, cannabis is
the worldwide No. 1 drug used."

Worldwide output tops 500,000 tonnes and waterfront cities such as
Halifax are already seeing the effects. So far this year, Canada
Customs has seized 2,009 kilograms of cannabis in the Atlantic region.
Most comes from Colombia.

Halifax and Saint John, N.B., are the main entry points, but smaller
volumes have turned up on Yarmouth-bound ferries from the United
States. Pleasure yachts are being used more to ship mass quantities of
cannabis, police say.

The rise in hydroponic-growing methods has also played a part in the
increase of activity. A single hydroponic plant can yield up to seven
joints a day.

Drug-related crime is on the rise and police say widespread
misinformation about the effects of drugs such as marijuana have
glamourized drug abuse and make enforcement more difficult.

"Our main point is we have the drugs and we got them off the streets"
said Gordon Melanson, head of intelligence and contraband for Revenue
Canada in the Atlantic region. "If we can get some bodies and arrests
to go with it, that's a bonus."

The Marine Centre of Expertise in Halifax trains officers from around
the world in drug-search methods. It's the only one of its kind in
Canada.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry