Pubdate: Wed, 03 Aug 2005 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Copyright: 2005, The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.globeandmail.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Robert Matas Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) POT RAIDS UNRELATED TO EMERY, POLICE SAY VANCOUVER -- Police seized more than 13,000 marijuana plants during numerous raids across Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island in the month before marijuana crusader Marc Emery was arrested late last week. However, the aggressive crackdown on the province's illegal marijuana-growing business was not part of the investigation that led to the arrest of Mr. Emery, police said yesterday. "We would certainly co-operate where we can, as well, we would want their co-operation," said Staff Sergeant Dale Hockley of the Coquitlam RCMP detachment. But agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency did not come to Canada and direct the RCMP to clamp down on the illegal drug trade, he said. "I do not believe so. Not to my knowledge," Staff Sgt. Hockley said. Mr. Emery was arrested last Friday after the U.S. government requested his extradition to face charges of money laundering and conspiracy to produce marijuana and distribute marijuana seeds. The arrest followed an 18-month investigation during which Mr. Emery sold seeds to undercover agents by mail and in person, Cannabis Culture magazine has reported. The DEA has offices in Ottawa and Vancouver. "I don't know where you got my number," an unidentified agent in the Ottawa office said before transferring the call to an answering machine to take a request for an interview. No one from the Ottawa office responded to the request. According to Special Agent Jeff Eig, a spokesman for the enforcement agency office in Seattle, agents in the U.S. war on drugs operate in Vancouver out of an office that opened two or three years ago. An official with the U.S. consulate in Vancouver said agents would not be available for interviews at least until September. Special Agent Eig confirmed that the agency would consider using undercover operations in a foreign country. However, he would not comment on the techniques used in the Emery investigation or any other aspect of the agency's activities in Canada. The enforcement agency in Vancouver has three full-time people and others who are in and out, the on-line journal http://www.thetyee.ca reported last fall. U.S. government spokesmen have said the Vancouver office was to deal with the province's booming marijuana industry and with heroin trafficking from Southeast Asia, Tyee.com reported last year. Earlier this week, RCMP in the Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam discovered an indoor marijuana growing operation on Charland Avenue with 200 plants when responding to a report of gunshots. They also found a 51-year old man who had been shot. The man, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, died later at the hospital. The Charland Avenue bust came two weeks after police found about 1,900 marijuana plants at three other locations in Coquitlam. The marijuana busts were among several raids on grow-ops in July. RCMP in the central Vancouver Island city of Duncan seized 1,700 plants in two raids in the Cowichan Valley. Burnaby RCMP seized 4,400 plants in three busts. Chilliwack RCMP seized about 2,300 plants in six busts. But the busts were unrelated to the Emery arrest, police said. "We have not had any formal dealings with the [Drug Enforcement Agency]," Constable Steve Hiscoe said. RCMP began investigating the growing number of marijuana operations in the area a few years ago. Constable Hiscoe pointed to a "Grow Watch" program, modelled on the successful Block Watch program, as a highly effective measure that has helped police. The program encourages neighbours to notify police about houses that may be used for marijuana-growing operations, he said. Chilliwack has been a busy place for marijuana grow-ops, he said. "We're aggressively pursuing it." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth