COMOX CREW HELPS WITH BIG DRUG BUST

Crew members of 19 Wing's 407 Squadron suspected there were illegal
drugs aboard a semi-submersible boat they spotted off the coast of
South America, but had no idea it was worth $242 million.

"We had an idea that it would have some narcotics on board. We were
curious to see how much," said Capt. Ray Townsend. "There were a few
bets on board as to how much there was."

The winner of that bet would have been someone who guessed around
seven metric tonnes, an example of the amount of illicit cargo that
experts say can be transported more than 2,000 nautical miles by the
self-propelled, low profile vessels that are a new and popular
addition to the drug-running arsenal.

The CP-140 Aurora and crew's participation was part of Operation
CARIBBE, run by the United States-led Joint Interagency Task Force
South last month.

"We got some intelligence from the inter-agency task force. We went
out to a location (where) we thought the vessel was," said Townsend,
adding that they made contact with the boat and waited while the U.S.
Coast Guard arrived on scene.

It was the first time 407 Squadron has been involved in a bust like
this, and Townsend said he felt it was a good representation of the
asset the crews and aircraft can be.

"I think it really exemplified the quality of the sensors and our
crew," said Townsend. "We provided a good service when we're down there."

The Joint Interagency Task Force South has brought Canada alongside
partner nations France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain,
and the U.S. in multinational drug surveillance and interdiction
operations in the Caribbean Basin and Eastern Pacific since November
2006.