$21M IN 'SPEED' HALTED AT BORDER

Tougher U.S. Customs border checks resulted in one of the largest seizures
of the cold-drug pseudoephedrine, which is used to make "speed."

U.S. Customs said 21 million tablets of the cold and allergy medicine,
worth about $21 million, were seized last weekend on a Canadian-based truck
crossing into the U.S. at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Mich.

"We have been conducting more inspections after Sept. 11," Port Huron
customs director Russ Day said yesterday. "We believe the increased
searches may have led to the seizure."

U.S. Customs said while the drug is legal in Canada, it's banned in the
U.S., where drug dealers use it to make methamphetamine, known as "speed"
on the street.

"The use of this drug appears to be spreading," Day said. "This is one of
our bigger seizures."

He said the pills were found shrink-wrapped on eight skids labelled
"fragile," hidden among crates of auto parts and office furniture.

Day said the drivers of the truck were released without charges.

U.S. police have said Canada is a primary source of pseudoephedrine and
political moves are under way to have the drug controlled here.

U.S. Customs officials said the largest seizure of the drug occurred in
April last year when 42 million pills were seized on a truck crossing into
Detroit.