$20M HAUL IN DRUGS UNCOVERED

A truckload of drugs worth nearly $20 million -- possibly the largest haul
of drugs in Alberta history -- was brought to a grinding halt by Calgary
police.

Members of the city police drug and truck units seized the semi-trailer
loaded with cocaine and marijuana Saturday, after the truck was searched at
a truck weigh scale just west of the city on the Trans-Canada Hwy.

The highway is known as a major drug transport route between Canada and the
U.S., and the duffel bags holding the huge quantities of dope were labelled
with names of eastern cities, including Toronto and Boston.

"We can't speculate on the number of times, but it's the most common route
to get from west to east," Staff Sgt. Roger Chaffin of the CPS Drug Unit
said yesterday.

"It comes right through our city, and this is a good indicator of just the
volume of drugs that can be moved in Canada."

Police said more than 187 kg of cocaine, with an estimated wholesale value
of $8.8 million, and 1,300 kg of marijuana, with an estimated wholesale
value of $10 million, were seized from the semi-trailer.

Police noticed something suspicious about the truck as it pulled into the
weigh scale, but wouldn't comment on what tipped them off.

The drugs were packed into 69 duffel bags inside the trailer, which was
also carrying various dry goods.

In total, 10 palettes of duffel bags, stacked from the floor to the ceiling
of the semi-trailer, were seized by police.

The drugs were tightly sealed and didn't emit any odour despite the large
volume.

The driver and a passenger in the semi-trailer were questioned by police
and released, after it was determined they had no knowledge of the cargo.