ACCUSED DRUG THUG THREAT TO CANUCKS?

A senior Canadian diplomat is on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts
assessing the danger to Canadians after an accused drug trafficker
threatened to start killing American students if he were extradited to
the U.S.

"There is some concern that some North American students look like
other North American students," said Deanna Rexe, 31, an adult
education PhD student from Vancouver at Berne University, one of eight
Canadians at the school.

'CONCERNED'

D'Arcy Thorpe spent the day talking to Canadian students from Ross and
Berne universities, as well as to senior security officials in the
former British colony.

"People are concerned and, when you get these kinds of threats,
they're looking for guidance on what to do," Thorpe said from
Basseterre, capital of St. Kitts.

"It's a tough situation."

U.S. state department officials are said to have arrived on St. Kitts
last week to negotiate the extradition of accused drug trafficker
Charles Miller, who's reputed to drive around the island in an armored
BMW.

The department said it had information that Miller, also known as
Little Nut, threatened to have U.S. students killed at random if he
were extradited to face drug trafficking charges.

Washington has been seeking the extradition of Miller, 37, and other
suspects, for trial since 1996. His extradition is being considered by
the courts in St. Kitts.

'COMMON SENSE'

"Clearly the Americans were mentioned, but it's being treated by the
community and the local authorities as a more general threat," said
Thorpe, a counsellor with the Canadian High Commission in Bridgetown,
Barbados, who flew in to assess the situation.

Thorpe said he advised Canadians in St. Kitts to use "common sense"
while on the island.

"(They should) use their judgment as local residents in what to do and
not to do in terms of what places to avoid."

In Ottawa, department of foreign affairs spokesman Sophie Legendre
said the Canadian government hasn't issued any advisory recommending
anyone leave St. Kitts.

Legendre said there are 28 Canadian families, including students,
registered as living on St. Kitts.

Checked-by: "Rich O'Grady"