Pubdate: Tue, 30 Apr 2002
Source: Daily News, The (CN NS)
9-BEDFBF5614D8}
Copyright: 2002 The Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/halifax/dailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/179
Author: Chris Lambie

DRUG LORDS LIKE HALIFAX PORT - COP

Port Gives Smugglers Easier Access To United States - Narcotics Officer

Colombia's drug cartels use Halifax to import cocaine and heroine because 
it 's closer than California and easier to enter than U.S. ports, says the 
president of North America's Anti-Smuggling Investigators Association.

"It's closer to come to Halifax than it is to get to San Diego," said 
Lieut. Mark Petska, the group's president and a narcotics officer with the 
Virginia State Police.

"So that's why they like it; they can come into Canada with containers and 
then they can slip them right across the border."

Colombians smugglers are hiding most of their contraband in seemingly 
innocent shipping containers, he said.

"The United States Coast Guard pretty much hammers them around Florida and 
along the east coast," Petska said. "So they can go out further, make a 
wider swing and then come in through Canada."

About 150 cops, customs officers, military investigators and drug agents 
from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border are attending a five-day 
conference in Halifax behind closed doors. It began yesterday.

While Roy Jamieson, of Canada Customs and Revenue, admits there is "a 
perception in some circles" that Halifax may be an easy target for drug 
smugglers, he hopes to convince people at this week's conference that just 
isn't true.

"Our track record is good," Jamieson said, adding Halifax customs agents 
have a "pretty good chance" of nabbing drugs coming through the port.

Right now, about 50 customs officers in Halifax inspect just three per cent 
of the 500,000 containers that land here every year. About 20 per cent of 
those containers move on to the United States by rail or truck.

"I think we're missing the boat on containers," Petska said. "There's no 
way you can check them all. You just have to hope you get good intelligence 
information and get lucky."

Cocaine isn't the only drug Colombians are smuggling, said the 29-year 
veteran U.S. cop.

"It's wide open," he said. "Heroine, hashish -- the Colombians are big into 
producing now."

Cocaine, heroine and ecstasy are the most common drugs smuggled into 
Halifax, said Sgt. Cy Chaytor, the RCMP's liason in Halifax with the 
military and Canada Customs.

"There seems to be a shift now," Chaytor said. "We used to seize drugs by 
the tonne."

But police now find drug smugglers are bringing in smaller quantities more 
often, he said. "So we get one and they got 10 through," Chaytor said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth