DRUG TRADE CASHES IN ON OLYMPIC CACHET

VANCOUVER-In its quest for corporate sponsors, it's a safe bet the
Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic Games never went
looking for an official supplier of ecstasy tablets.

But it appears some drug dealers are as eager as corporations to cash
in on the Games. Vancouver police announced Thursday they busted the
first drug production lab using the Olympic logo.

Vancouver police responding to a 911 call about a home invasion at an
East Vancouver home found a huge ecstasy lab.

The seizure includes 107,000 pills with a street value of more than
$1 million and a six-ounce partial brick of cocaine valued at
$17,000. Some of the ecstasy tablets were imprinted with peace signs
and others with the Olympic rings.

"This is one of the top five largest seizures in Vancouver," said
Vancouver Insp. Brad Desmarais.

Const. Jana McGuinness, spokeswoman for the Vancouver police
department, said ecstasy tablets usually have more innocuous stamps
or imprints on them.

"We've seen a lot of happy faces, bunny rabbits, and it's not unusual
to see a variety, but this is the first time we've encountered the
Olympic logo," she said Thursday. "The inspector on the case said he
was fairly confident this wasn't the intended spirit of the Olympics."

Two men believed to be occupants of the home were arrested and have
been released on condition they have no contact with one another and
do not go to nightclubs or raves where ecstasy is commonly sold.

Charges are pending in the case.

The Games organizing committee said Thursday the discovery shows
there continues to be "unscrupulous use of the Olympic marks."

"Like the Vancouver police, we will continue to be diligent in our
surveillance and rigorous follow-up," said Bill Cooper, director of
commercial rights management.