Pubdate: Wed, 04 Apr 2001 Source: Wall Street Journal (US) Copyright: 2001 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Contact: http://www.wsj.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487 GILDAN CLOSES BARBADOS PLANT AFTER MARIJUANA FIND A Canadian-owned T-shirt assembly operation closed its Barbados plant after authorities found a large multiton shipment of marijuana hidden among clothes in one of its shipments originating in at the plant. Gildan Activewear SRL -- which exports mainly to the U.S. -- said it closed the assembly plant on Monday to safeguard against more drugs being sent with its products. The Barbadian plant's 50 workers also were laid off Monday. The company said its main concern is losing permission to ship to the U.S. from its plants in the Caribbean and Central America if similar incidents continue to occur. Authorities found at least 10 metric tons of marijuana hidden in the Miami-bound shipping container, which departed Barbados on Feb. 1 and was stopped midway through the Caribbean. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D