SOURCE: Attorney General of Washington

LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERTS MEET TO ADDRESS CROSS-BORDER DRUG TRAFFICKING

OLYMPIA, Wash., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Key state and federal law
enforcement officers and prosecutors from Washington and British Columbia
will meet this weekend in Seattle to discuss ways to address cross-border
drug trafficking.

"Drug trafficking over the B.C.-Washington border is a multi-million dollar
business," Washington Attorney General Chris Gregoire said. "We want to
assemble the experts to gain a common understanding of the problem and talk
about strategies to stop the drug trafficking."

The idea for the drug summit was suggested at a recent meeting of Attorneys
General from the Western states and Canadian provinces. "Washington
officials are worried about the high-quality, high-potency marijuana which
is moving from B.C. into Washington," Gregoire said.

Canadian officials, meanwhile, are concerned about cocaine and other drugs
moving from Washington north.

Representatives from the Washington Attorney General's Office, the State
Patrol, the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, local police
chiefs and sheriffs, U.S. Customs, the FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Attorney's
Office will attend. Canada will be represented by Dosanjh and local police,
prosecutors and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The meeting will begin Friday night and end Saturday at noon and will be
held at the Seattle Airport Hilton.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski