FUNGI SEIZURE HUGE, SAY RCMP

A routine traffic stop by RCMP has led to a massive "magic mushroom"
bust after police discovered 68 kilograms of the hallucinogenic drug
in a truck.

RCMP investigators said Monday that the haul is the largest local
seizure of the psilocybin--so-called "magic mushrooms" -- in recent
memory.

The bust happened Thursday, after an officer doing traffic enforcement
near Lake Louise pulled over an eastbound Chevrolet Silverado for an
unspecified equipment violation.

The officer became suspicious -- though police wouldn't say why--and
called an RCMP drug detection dog to the scene.

"There was some indication that further investigation would be
required," Sgt. Patrick Webb said.

The dog found dried mushrooms packed in several cardboard boxes in the
bed of the pickup truck, said Webb.

It's common for police forces to train officers to look for suspicious
behaviour that may indicate more serious criminal activity when they
stop motorists for routine traffic infractions.

The tactic was developed in the early 1980s, after American law
enforcement agencies began to notice that increased traffic
enforcement along major routes was leading to more drug seizures.

Last week's bust on the Trans-Canada Highway was likely a product of
that kind of training, said one Calgary criminologist.

"More than likely, this officer's antenna was pretty sensitive to
something going on," said Doug King of Mount Royal University.

"It was probably good, old-fashioned police work."

Psilocybin acts on the body's central nervous system and can cause
users to hallucinate. Mushrooms can be eaten fresh or dried, or can be
ground up and put into tablets or capsules.

Because there were so many mushrooms and they were all in the same
stage of growth, investigators believe they were illegally cultivated,
rather than picked in the wild.

"It appears to indicate it was done in a grow operation," Webb said.
Although the investigation hasn't determined where the mushrooms came
from or their ultimate destination, Webb said it's "safe to assume"
they were headed to Calgary, at least before being distributed
somewhere else.

Police estimated the mushrooms are worth $700,000, based on the
assumption they would be sold on the street at $10 a gram, Webb said.

A veteran RCMP drug investigator told Webb the largest previous
seizure he could recall was only about 15 kilograms.

While intercepting drugs through traffic enforcement can lead to some
big seizures, King said targeting drugs at their source or where
they're being sold remain the most effective police tactics. "I would
be hesitant to say this is going to make a significant dent in what's
going on," he said.

Shawn Lutz, 27, and Scott Gowing, 31, both of Calgary have been
charged with possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of
trafficking and trafficking. Both were released from custody and are
set to appear in Banff provincial court on Nov. 16.