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.
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