DRUGS PASSING THROUGH

Still A Border Problem, But They Aren't Stopping Here

The bad news is that drugs are still a problem at the border.

The good news -- for Sarnians at least -- is that they seem to be
bypassing the community.

"A lot of times it's not drugs coming into this community but drugs
going onto the larger (places)," said Ron Flowers, regional
intelligence officer with Canada Border Services Agency. Flowers was
a guest speaker at the Seaway Kiwanis Club's Canada/U.S. Goodwill
dinner Monday night, where he gave the about 150 members a rundown of
how border services have changed since Sept. 11, 2001.

Using a slideshow to illustrate some of the most notable busts,
Flowers told the crowd about smuggling which involved people hidden
in dashboards, drugs implanted into the stomachs of dogs and large
firearm seizures.

During his 20 minute presentation, Flowers reiterated the steps which
have been taken to secure Canada's portholes to the U.S., such as the
creation of the Canada Border Services Agency in 2003 and the
expansion of cooperative efforts between different types of law
enforcement officials in recent years.

The St. Clair River is one example of the combined enforcement effort.

Flowers cited the examples of the RCMP working with the Coast Guard
and Canadian officers working with their American counterparts as
signs of increased sharing among agencies.

"There's a lot more exchange of information and working with each
others resources than there used to be," he said.