DRUG BUST NETS UP TO $60M WORTH OF ECSTASY

Toronto police chief Julian Fantino today announced what police believe is
the largest single seizure ever of domestically produced ecstasy in Canada,
with a street value estimated at between $50 million and $60 million.

The drugs were found as the result of a street stop made in the area of
Sheppard Ave. E. and Shorting Rd. in Scarborough at about 2 a.m. on Sept. 3.

Constable John Linney, a uniformed officer with 42 Division, was on patrol
in the area when he noticed a van being driven with an expired licence
plate validation tag. He stopped the van, and the driver and passenger were
arrested after a quantity of ecstasy powder was found inside it.

In further investigation of the case, the Toronto Police Service Drug
Squad, with the assistance of the York Regional Police Drug Unit, executed
search warrants at a residence on Park Common Boulevard, in Markham, and a
storage facility on Finch Avenue East, in Toronto.

These searches resulted in the seizure of 161 kilos of ecstasy powder, 42
kilos of liquid ecstasy, 177 grams of heroin (street value $53,000.00), 380
kilos of sassafras oil (a chemical precursor of ecstasy), 45 gallons of
other chemical precursors of MDMA, and $6,000 in currency.

In all of 2003, Toronto police seized a total of 16 kilograms of ecstasy.

"To put this seizure into context, this is the single largest seizure of
domestically produced ecstasy in Canadian history, so it's certainly a
great day for policing," said Inspector Dan Hayes, who heads the drug
squad. "There's a street value of anywhere from $50 million to $60 million
depending on how much this product is cut and whether it is sold at the
single-dose stage or in bulk discount."

Police believe the drugs were produced in the GTA.

"This multi-million-dollar organization was flying under the radar and -
had it not been for the actions of Constable John Linney - might have gone
undetected for who knows how long," Hayes said.

The inspector said the accused are a couple of "cogs in the wheel" but
"it's a very big wheel with a number of other people involved."

Police believe the drugs were meant for destinations across Canada and the U.S.

"There are probably dozens of human lives that have been saved with this
seizure," Hayes said.

Kai Wing Tang, 26, and Wai Chung Ng, 25, of Markham, are facing a variety
of charges relating to possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The investigation continues.