CANADA NO. 1 SUPPLIER OF U.S. DOPE: CUSTOMS

Canada is now the largest single supplier of pot, speed and steroids to the
U.S., says a top customs official. American authorities are making more
seizures both at and south of the border, says George Webb, head of
counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation for the Canadian Border
Services Agency.

At the same time, the flow of illegal drugs to Canada from the U.S. appears
to have stabilized, according to the agency. Major drug busts at the
Canadian border have been fairly consistent since the mid-1990s.

"In the old days, the flow of drugs was northbound, coming out of the
United States," Webb said yesterday. "That ... has changed. We are now
their biggest drug supplier, whether it be B.C. bud, methamphetamines or
steroids."

Last year, there were 974 large seizures of drugs coming in to Canada, with
a total street value of about $269.7 million, the agency reports.