LAW ENFORCEMENT HOT ON THE DRUG SMUGGLERS' TRAIL

They come from states across the east coast, even as far as Virginia
and the Carolinas.

They drive old cars, vans, pickups, even boats.

Their goal is simple.

They pick up loads of high grade hydroponically grown marijuana in
Canada.

They slip it across the U. S. - Canada border, either by land or
water, into the U.S. and than back to their home town where they can
sell it for big profits.

But standing in their way is a host of local, state, and federal
officers patrolling the border, the river and the roads stretching
across St. Lawrence County. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration,
U. S. Border Patrol, U. S. Coast Guard, U. S. Customs, New York State
Police, St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Department Drug Task Force as
well as local officers.

Since Sept. 11 2001, those agencies have been augmented with a host of
extra officers assigned to watch the border.

The result has been frequent checkpoints set up by the U. S. Border
Patrol on roads throughout St. Lawrence County, sometimes far inland
from the border where federal, state and even local officers will
check vehicles passing through.

Sometimes, the checkpoints are set up because intelligence gathered by
the agencies suggest a shipment is likely to be making its way down
that road.

Sometimes, the checkpoint locations have been randomly chosen by
officers just to see if the drug shipments might be taking a route off
the beaten path.

Those checkpoints have reaped surprising results, investigators
say.

Two years ago, when the checkpoints began, investigators found that
Route 37 seemed to be the freeway of choice for drug smugglers heading
down state with large shipments of high grade marijuana.

Almost weekly, large shipments were being discovered.

While the frequency has dropped, investigators say, shipments are
still coming through, although smugglers are now trying a host of
alternative routes in an effort to avoid detection.

Investigators say they now believe that large shipments of marijuana
were routinely being shipped through St. Lawrence and Franklin County
long before the discovery after Sept. 11, 2002.

"It's real big business," said one investigator who asked not to be
named. "It's just come to light. People didn't realize" how much was
being shipped through the county until the U. S. Border Patrol
received the extra officers and began running its checkpoint program.

Investigators have found that the shipments are bound for communities
up and down the eastern seaboard, not just downstate cities like
Syracuse or Rochester.

"I think it existed for years," the investigator said. "It's going all
over the place. We've had shipments going as far away as Virginia,
North Carolina and every where in between."

The marijuana is especially prized because of its high quality and
potency. It's grown hydroponically.

"The price is maybe lower than other places," he said, allowing
dealers to sell it on the streets for high prices, making the risk
worth it.

While investigators say They've discovered deliveries bound for major
drug operations, they've also found just as many free lance operations
comprised of just a few individuals who are willing to run the
gauntlet of law enforcement agencies along the border.

"We've seen every type," he said. "We don't want to talk about what
we've found out. We don't want them to know what we know. But I think
they are very worried. We've hit them pretty hard. It's a hit to lose
a hundred thousand-dollar shipment.

"One time we got 400 pounds in one shipment. That's well over a
million dollars in one shipment. That's a tough hit to take," he said.

While investigators have made dozens and dozens of large bust, the
people arrested don't often know much about the inner workings of the
operations of those that hired them to make the run.

But occasionally, investigators strike pay dirt.