TRIAL DATE SET FOR ACCUSED TUNNELLERS

A trial date of Sept. 26 has been set for three Surrey men accused of
tunnelling under the Canada-U.S. border to smuggle drugs.

Francis Devandra Raj, 30, Timothy Woo, 34, and Jonathan Valenzuela,
27, were arrested on the U.S side of the border on July 21 and charged
with conspiracy to distribute and import marijuana.

They are being held in a Washington State jail while they wait for
their trial to be held in Seattle.

The trio allegedly excavated a 110-metre tunnel that ran three metres
below the ground beneath the 2600 block of 0 Avenue in Aldergrove,
linking a metal Quonset hut on the Canadian side to a house on the
American side.

The 1.5-metre-wide tunnel, a sophisticated affair that had its own
lighting, sump pump and air ventilation system, will be sealed off
tomorrow (Thursday), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
said.

A crew will cut through the roadway above the tunnel on the U.S. side
to insert steel and cement barriers and to fill the tunnel with dirt
and gravel.

The lumber that was used to support the roof and walls of the tunnel
will be taken out.

A liquid foam cement that hardens like rock will be pumped into the
tunnel to close it off.

It's expected to take two days.

The Associated Press reported Rodney Benson, special agent in charge
of the Seattle Field Division of the DEA, has predicted there will
soon be more arrests in the case, the first drug tunnel ever
discovered along the Canada-U.S. border.

Meanwhile, the house in the U.S. has been seized by the U.S.
Attorney's Office in Seattle, which is also applying to seize the
Canadian property. as well.