NAVY BLOWS UP DRUG BOAT

OTTAWA -- Canadian sailors are on a high after blowing up $72 million in
opium and hashish.

Commodore Jean-Pierre Thiffault, commander of the Canadian Forces fight
against terrorism, said HMCS Toronto's sailors led the high-seas drug bust
Wednesday. He said the take-down ended in an impressive show of firepower
yesterday when the frigate used the drug boat for target practice.

"They took advantage of the opportunity to do a bit of gun practice," he
said in an interview from the coalition headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

Canadian sailors staffing the frigate first spotted a dhow - a local type
of sailing vessel - towing a speedboat in international waters off Pakistan
Wednesday.

They boarded when two men jumped into the speedboat and abandoned the dhow
with its motors running.

The boarding party uncovered about 90 bags stuffed with plastic packages
stamped with the phrase "Freedom of Afghanistan."

The bags contained two tonnes of opium and hashish, estimated at a street
value of $41 million to $72 million.

"That's a big find, a significant find," Thiffault said. "And if you're
able to deny the enemy that much money in one opportunity then it's a
significant event."

Coalition intelligence officers combed through the shipment to determine if
the drugs were linked to al-Qaida or Taliban suspects.

Thiffault said there was nowhere to dock the dhow, so the Canadian sailors
towed it further out to sea.

"When you have absolutely no place to return the derelict vessel, you
resolve to (use) other means."

HMCS Toronto unleashed her 57-mm guns on the boat, sinking it and its drug
cargo.

"There were other ships involved and aircraft and they took advantage to do
a bit of combat-readiness training, seeing as they were disposing of it
altogether," Thiffault said.