POT TRUCK BUSTED

OSOYOOS -- It was the largest drug seizure in the history of the
Okanagan-Kootenay district of the Canada Border Services Agency

"I'm pleased to announce that (officers at the Osoyoos border
crossing) have seized over 100 kilograms of marijuana," said Alan
Prolifi, district superintendent for Canada Border Services Agency

The announcement was made Thursday at the border crossing, next to a
table stacked high with 192 vacuumsealed bags full of marijuana, worth
up to $500,000. It started with a few routine questions for the driver
of a tractor-trailer travelling to the United States on Monday, said
Robbin Walterhouse, an inspector and detector dog handler. He was on
shift with his canine partner, Shad, when he and Prolifi noticed the
driver's suspicious behaviour. Jasdeep Singh Litt of Surrey was taking
the truck to Washington with a load of recycled paper and cardboard

Between six and 30 vehicles are questioned at random at the crossing
each day, said Walterhouse. The random checks include vehicles coming
into Canada from the United States and outbound commercial vehicles.
Litt was one of the random checks made before entry into the United
States

The officers generally look for a few hints that suggest closer
examination is in order. This was one of those cases. "He avoided eye
contact. All these little things -- he seemed very deflated,"
Walterhouse said. "The gentleman seemed a little bit off." That led to
a routine sweep by Shad, a black Labrador retriever detector dog who
has worked with Walterhouse for the last four years to sniff out contraband

The dog starts at the front of the truck and sniffs his way up and
down each side of the vehicle. Shad is trained to detect the odour of
illegal substances including marijuana, hash, hash oil, cocaine, heroin and
opium.

The officers opened the tailgate of the truck for a sniff, and then
worked back up to the cab. It takes Shad only about 15 seconds to
sweep the inside of such a vehicle

"As soon as he hit the inside of the tractor, I noticed a change in
him," said Walterhouse, noting Shad got more animated, almost hyper

"When he got to the ceiling, he gave his alert." When Shad finds the
strongest part of the odour, he quietly sits and doesn't move. On
Monday, he was focused on the ceiling above the sleeper cab of the
truck

"It just looked like a normal truck roof," Walterhouse said,
describing the padding, complete with fabric buttons covering the
screws holding it in place. But they couldn't budge the cover

"This thing was solid, you could not pull it down." The specially
designed compartment was electronically controlled, almost like an
electric trunk release. After they shorted out the wires, they found
the hidden storage space holding the 102.6 kg of marijuana

That's when the case was turned over to the South Okanagan RCMP
detachment

Staff Sgt. Walter Makepeace said this is a significant bust

"All we can say is it's probably not likely it is the first load that
was in that truck," he said. "It's a billion-dollar industry in
British Columbia, and the vast majority is leaving British Columbia to
the east and to the United States." Prolifi said they continue to see
new methods of smuggling

"They're getting more sophisticated," he said. "This was obviously
professionally done." RCMP would not estimate the value of the
seizure, as it depends on the market. Non-police sources peg the
street value of good quality B.C. bud at between $3,300 and $4,400 per
kg -- higher in the U.S. -- for a total estimated street value of just
under $500,000. Litt has been charged with unlawfully exporting drugs
and possession for the purpose of trafficking.