ILLEGAL SHIPMENTS TAKE TO THE ROAD

State Police's Arrest Rate Rises

Tighter security at airports and other public transit stations seems to
have diverted illegal drug traffic to the highways, a top state police
official said last week.

"It appears it has shifted more activity to us," said Capt. H.C. Davis,
commander of the special operations division of the Virginia State Police.

After federal authorities clamped down on airports, train and bus stations
last September, Davis said, drug seizures and arrests "increased
dramatically" across Virginia.

The state police's arrest rate for drug-related charges rose by ninefold
between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 when compared to the same period the previous year.

There were 180 arrests in the fourth quarter last year compared to 21
arrests during the same period the year before, the state police said.

The drugs confiscated late last year - mostly crack and powder cocaine, and
marijuana - had a street value of $900,000 as compared with the $124,000
value of the drugs captured the year before.

While it's impossible to make a definite link to heightened federal
security at airports and other public facilities, Davis said, "We have some
information that more [drugs are] coming up the interstates because of
increased security at airports, bus station and train stations."

Most of the arrests have occurred on three of the state's interstate
highways - 95, 85, and 81 - as well as U.S. 13 on the Eastern Shore.

"We're mobile, and we can shift resources to the problem areas," Davis said.

The spike in narcotics arrests and seizures has prompted the state police
to double the size of its canine unit, which trains drug-sniffing dogs.

More dogs also are being taught to detect bombs and explosives.