TEENS THINK IT'S BIG BUCKS, LITTLE RISK

Smuggling drugs across the border may seem like a quick, easy way to make a
few bucks. But if you are caught, the rash decision will have negative
repercussions on the rest of your life.

"If it's such an easy way to make a buck, why is someone asking you to do
it?" asked Integrated Border Enforcement (IBET) RCMP Const. Alex Borden
during a forum yesterday examining the issue of local teens getting
involved in cross-border smuggling.

The forum - which was taped and will be shown to local students in the near
future - is a "preemptive" strike to help ensure more local teens do not
get involved. In a two-month period last fall, four Abbotsford teens were
arrested after trying to get drugs across the 49th parallel.

The largest case was in November, when a 16-year-old Abbotsford teen was
caught with 200 pounds of ephedrine and 200 pounds of pot. He recently
received a four-to-eight-month sentence at a juvenile prison, according to
Tom Verge of Whatcom County's prosecuting attorney's office. He also has
the capability to ask that a teen be kept in a juvenile facility until his
21st birthday or be raised to adult court.

IBET Const. Maitland Smith said teens believe smuggling drugs is quick easy
money.

"They also have the perception that there is a low risk of being caught."

According to Const. Graham Shantz, the reason many people get recruited
into smuggling is "power and money."

However, with organized crime behind most of the smuggling, when a job goes
awry the drug runner is threatened with violence and forced to repay his
"debt" by taking on more jobs.

"These days, there's not much turning back," said Shantz, who said some
drug runners want to "get out," but can't.

As well, if one is caught smuggling drugs across the 49th, going back into
the U.S. after release from jail won't be an option.

"(The 16-year-old) will never be allowed to come back into the United
States," said U.S. Border patrol agent John Strauch. "He'll never be able
to go to Disneyland."

Last year along the Abbotsford portion of the border, 2,097 pounds of
marijuana and 38 pounds of cocaine were seized. There were 15 criminal code
offences, as well as 21 weapons seizures.