DRUG BUST AT BORDER

U.S. Customs Arrests Canadian Inspector With $850,000 Of
Pot

A Canadian border inspector has been arrested for allegedly
transporting $850,000 worth of marijuana into the United States.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Altaf
Merali at the Pacific border crossing separating South Surrey from
Blaine, Wash., on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old Surrey resident is an inspector with the Canada Border
Services Agency (CBSA).

Paula Shore, a spokeswoman with CBSA, said privacy and confidentiality
provisions prevented her from commenting on specific details of the
incident, but confirmed that Merali is an employee of the border
services agency.

She said the agency would be cooperating fully with federal and
international agencies.

According to U.S. District Court documents, the incident began when
Merali's 1992 GMC Safari was randomly flagged for inspection at the
border.

Allegedly, Merali parked, identified himself as a Canadian customs
officer and asked how long the inspection would take. He began to fill
out a baggage declaration, but stopped, took a U.S. border officer
aside and confessed he was transporting marijuana, the court documents
said.

A statement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said
approximately 103 kilograms of marijuana was found in the back of the
vehicle.

According to the court documents, Merali told Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents he wanted to co-operate and waived his rights. He
told them it was his first time transporting marijuana over the border
and was doing so because "an Indo-Canadian gang had threatened" his
family.

The court papers outlined the plan: Merali was to drive his van to the
McDonald's Restaurant at the Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, Wash.
There, a man in a red baseball cap would take the marijuana from him.

Merali made an initial appearance in court yesterday.

He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. If
convicted, the crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five
years and a maximum sentence of 40 years.

Merali was remanded to a federal detention centre to await a detention
hearing scheduled for Monday afternoon. The hearing will determine if
there are any conditions that would allow his release prior to trial.

A preliminary hearing is also scheduled for May 18.