NINE FOUND GUILTY OF TRAFFICKING IN HASHISH

Nine people, including three local men, were found guilty on Tuesday
in the biggest hashish bust in B.C. history.

Kurt Patrick Guilbride of Ladysmith and Ronald Patrick Thomson, a
former realtor from Chemainus, were both found guilty in provincial
court on four counts, while Richard Farrington from Cassidy was found
guilty on two counts.

All charges are related to conspiracy to import and traffic in cannabis
resin.

Guilbride is the owner of the Black Nugget Museum in Ladysmith.

The convictions were the result of a 20-month investigation involving
the RCMP, Canada Customs, U.S. Customs, the Canadian Armed Forces, the
U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in addition to
foreign law-enforcement agencies.

On Nov. 4, 1998, RCMP stormed a boat, the 'Ansare II', docked in Fanny
Bay and found nearly 10 tonnes of hashish being unloaded. On the same
day another ship, the 'Blue Dawn', was intercepted in international
waters by the U.S. Coast guard and an additional 2.35 tonnes of
cannabis resin was seized.

The drugs were worth an estimated $100 million.

The six others found guilty on Tuesday were Sanford Hately on five
counts, Joel Hately on two counts, Ronald Grant on one count, Sylvie
Goyer on four counts, Kenneth Thomson on two counts, and Wolfgang
Fitznar on four counts.

Previously, five other people were prosecuted in Nanaimo in 2000 for
their involvement. They were mostly involved with unloading and the
attempted distribution of the drug and received sentences ranging from
three to four years.

Judge Elizabeth Arnold released the offenders on bail to await sentencing.