ON: Pot Trade A Big Bang Options

[Truth]

ON: Pot Trade A Big Bang

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n270/a06.html
Newshawk: Herb
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Wed, 16 Feb 2005
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact: editor@tor.sunpub.com
Website: http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Tom Godfrey, Toronto Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)


POT TRADE A BIG BANG

POLICE AND Customs officers say Canadian pot is being traded by gangs for weapons in the U.S. and then smuggled into the country for resale or to settle feuds. Customs officials said they seized 1,100 weapons being smuggled into the country last year. Of those, more than 200 were seized at southern Ontario border crossings.

"There are cases from time to time that involve the smuggling of weapons by organized crime," Dan Yen of the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) said yesterday.

Yen said most guns are seized from U.S. citizens entering Canada by car.

"There is an ongoing battle to combat and keep weapons off the streets," he said. "Our officers are vigilant and always on the alert."

Ron Moran of the Customs Excise Union said the seizures are only the tip of the iceberg.

"Police intelligence shows gangs are trading Canadian marijuana for weapons," Moran said yesterday. "Every time this happens the weapons are smuggled into Canada."

Moran said his unarmed officers routinely seize high-calibre weapons from criminals and U.S. gun owners. Customs officials seized 5,000 firearms being snuck into the country in the last five years.



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MAP posted-by: Beth

[FrankD]