B.C. POT ACTIVIST ARRESTED IN EXTRADITION BID BY U.S.

VANCOUVER -- Canadian pot activist Marc Emery and two others should be
extradited to the United States to face several marijuana charges, says
information contained in a search warrant sought by the United States and
granted by a B.C. court

The raid on Emery's pot paraphernalia store in downtown Vancouver began late
Friday morning and involved several uniformed and plainclothes city police
officers

The police presented a search warrant, issued by Associate Chief Justice
Patrick Dohm of B.C. Supreme Court, that said the U.S. made its request
under a treaty that deals with matters under the Mutual Legal Assistance in
Criminal Matters Act

The U.S. alleges Emery -- described in the search warrant as the Prince of
Pot -- Gregory Keith Williams and Michelle Rainey-Fenkarek conspired to
manufacture marijuana, to distribute marijuana seeds and conspired to engage
in money laundering

Emery, who is also leader of the B.C. Marijuana party, was not at the store
when it was raided, but U.S. justice officials said he was arrested earlier
Friday in Halifax by the RCMP. Williams and Rainey-Fenkarek were arrested by
police in Vancouver, Jeff Sullivan, chief of the criminal division of the
U.S. Attorney's Office, told a news conference in Seattle

In Vancouver, Const. Howard Chow was asked to explain at a news conference
why city police didn't arrest and charge Emery without needing a U.S.
request.

"This is information that came to us (from the U.S.) about a year ago and
investigations take time," said Chow.

Chow acknowledged that Emery's operation has been known to city police for
several years.

"You can't expect to fly under the radar without being held accountable.
Distribution of pot is illegal in the U.S. as it is here in Canada."

Chow reiterated that it was information from the U.S., not its own officers,
that prompted the execution of the search warrant.

"This is good, substantive information that we received from the U.S.
government that precipitated this investigation. If we had any other
information that we received on anyone else our drug squad would have
checked into that as well."

The U.S. wants the trio extradited on the charges after they were indicted
by a federal grand jury in May following an 18-month investigation by
American police into the sale of marijuana seeds on the Internet and by
mail, said Sullivan.

Rod Benson, the special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency in
Seattle, told the news conference that Emery showed "overwhelming arrogance
and abuse of the rule of law," which he said "will no longer be on display
or tolerated."

"The message here is clear," he said, "those engaged in the cultivation, and
trafficking of illegal drugs will eventually pay a steep price." None of the
accused has had an opportunity to respond to the charges, which must still
be proven in court.

A conviction on the charges carries a sentence ranging from 10 years to life
in prison, said Sullivan.

He said Emery's business selling seeds -- which has been in operation since
1994 -- makes about $3 million US a year.

Emery, 46, was released from jail in Saskatoon last October after three
months in jail for passing a joint at a pot rally in the city earlier in
2004.

While it was Emery's eleventh drug-related conviction, it was the first time
he had been sentenced to jail.

The store that was raided, named Toker's Bowl, sells pot paraphernalia and
pot-growing literature and the smell of marijuana often wafts through the
premises.

Several people gathered outside the store to protest the raid, many holding
anti-American signs.

Police sealed off the store and covered the windows with paper while they
conducted their search.

The search warrant sets out a long list of requests made by the United
States to the Vancouver police department.

It asks police to seize cash and receipts, client lists and other records
identifying purchasers of goods from Emery, and employee records, including
applications for employment. It also asks for business and company
incorporation documents, leases, rental agreements, computers, hard drives,
diskettes and CD-ROMS.