MEDIA BLASTED OVER DRUG PROBE

VANCOUVER -- The Mountie who linked a police raid on the legislature to the
"cancer" of organized crime says some media stories are compromising the
ongoing investigation into drugs, organized crime and commercial crime.
Sgt. John Ward said some reports have been "detrimental to our
investigation," citing one that said the probe of one of two ministerial
aides in the case is tied to drugs and the handling of the privatization of
B.C. Rail.

"The amount of misinformation is detrimental. It's detrimental to our
investigation, but also detrimental to people who may not be guilty or
accused of anything," Ward said.

He refused to confirm the newspaper report or be more explicit.

Victoria police and the RCMP launched a Dec. 28 raid on the legislature to
look for evidence in a 20-month probe said to be aimed at such targets as a
drug ring that exchanged B.C. marijuana for cocaine from the U.S.

Police targeted the offices of aides to the finance minister and
transportation minister.

No charges have been laid against either of the aides, David Basi and
Robert Virk. Basi was fired immediately, but Virk has been suspended with pay.

The day after the raid, Ward explained the action in the context of the
fight against organized crime, which he described as "a cancer eating away
at the social and moral fabric of British Columbia."