ASIAN OUTLAWS DIVERSIFY

EDMONTON -- More than ever, Asian organized crime groups - "the most
violent" among outlaw associations in Alberta - are dominating the
underworld, police investigators say. In addition to pushing cocaine
and marijuana, Asian gangs are delving into the rapidly growing market
of crystal methamphetamine in Alberta, and committing more and more
commerce fraud, Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta says in its
2003-04 annual report.

"It's diversification I guess we'd call it in the business world,"
Gary Buss, CISA operations co-ordinator, said yesterday.

The report says Asian criminal gangs have historically obtained their
funds from activities such as thefts from vehicles, robberies and
extortions from various businesses within the Asian community.

"(However), the vast majority of criminal proceeds for virtually all
organized crime groups are now derived from drug trafficking," the
reports says.

The report notes that Asian gang members have become
multi-ethnic.

CISA says Asian gang kingpins are using proceeds of their crimes to
buy houses and committing credit card fraud in order to set up pot
grow-ops to further their involvement in the drug trade.

"There is ... evidence of organized crime groups moving into
'white-collar' crime areas such as mortgage and investment frauds,"
the report says.

"With proceeds of crime being derived from drug trafficking, they are
able to broaden their portfolios using the proceeds to finance other
activities such as loan-sharking, luxury vehicle exports, real
estate/financing frauds and credit card frauds."

CISA, comprised of provincial police agencies, says Asian gang crime
in Alberta generally tends to follow B.C.'s lead, which police say
will result in an escalating number of grow-ops popping up.