'GATE TO TORONTO'

Cops: Fingerprint Led To Drug Empire's Kingpin

A fingerprint lifted from a plastic bag containing cocaine being
smuggled into Canada led police busting what they say was one of the
GTA's most prolific drug smuggling rings that used single moms and
children to act as couriers.

This RCMP drug probe didn't wrap up in an hour as it does on TV's CSI,
but hard work by the force's forensic identification section brought
the latent print to life and three suspects to justice, including
Rayon Santo, the alleged kingpin of the international drug ring.

Police alleged the fingerprint led to a ring member who took them to
the mastermind, accused of controlling a drug empire with arms in
Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Jamaica and Antigua.

Santo, 36, was arrested last September with three others following a
lengthy probe by the Mounties and Canada Border Services Agency
(CBSA). The men were arrested after an alleged courier was nabbed at
Pearson airport with more than 5 kilos of cocaine hidden in a
false-sided suitcase.

Also charged were (name redacted), (name redacted) both of
Toronto, and (name redacted) of Mississauga. The cases are being
heard in Brampton court.

Santo was previously charged in August 2003 by Toronto drug cops
following two undercover operations code named Gallito and Lester.
During the Gallito probe, police twice seized large shipments of coke
brought into Pearson through the West Indies. Drug cops found 45 kilos
of coke in three separate sets of luggage and a second 45-kilo
shipment in two large gym bags.

Coke In Luggage

Project Lester focused on a gang that used a variety of techniques to
smuggle coke here. Typically, drug mules -- some recruited out of GTA
high schools -- were paid $5,000 to bring in multi-kilo loads from
Guyana in their luggage, authorities said.

The mules had specific instructions on what to say to Customs
officers, according to investigators.

Larger shipments ranging from 40 to 60 kilos were discovered in
riveted false roofs on cargo containers at both Pearson and Port of
Spain's Piarco airport in Trinidad.

"Greed is a powerful motivating factor," one officer said. "The drug
dealers have no conscience and they regard the loss of a shipment as
the price of doing business."

Police said the drug dons have lieutenants on the plane and on the
ground to ensure couriers don't panic or throw the dope in the garbage.

"They have watchers on the flight," one police officer
said.

Police suspect the kingpin had used about 50 single-mom couriers in
the five years or so he's been moving millions of dollars in Colombian
cocaine. Police suspect the kingpin was moving at least 20 kilos,
about $5 million worth, monthly.

"A lot of money was going daily to different accounts in Jamaica," an
officer said. "He had two or three customers and that's the only ones
he dealt with."

Affairs With Moms

Police said the kingpin didn't touch the product.

Police said the money was sent to the island to buy an 18-acre
ocean-front property.

"He was the gate to Toronto," one drug cop said. "He has the
connections to move a steady and consistent amount."

Police alleged one gang affiliate would recruit the moms and the
kingpin would have affairs with them to get them to smuggle drugs.

"He had the couriers and he had the network," the drug cop said. "For
many years he was flying under the radar."