Pubdate: Fri, 05 May 2000 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2000 The Toronto Star Contact: One Yonge St., Toronto ON, M5E 1E6 Fax: (416) 869-4322 Website: http://www.thestar.com/ Forum: http://www.thestar.com/editorial/disc_board/ Author: Cal Millar, Staff Reporter POLICE ASK OTTAWA'S HELP TO INTERVENE WITH VIETNAM Drug squad wants joint investigation of heroin smuggling OTTAWA - Federal government officials are being urged by Toronto police to do everything diplomatically possible to allow a joint investigation by Vietnamese and Toronto police into a drug trafficking ring that is smuggling heroin into Canada. Police in both countries have conducted separate investigations into the network during the past four years. Vietnam's resulted in last week's execution of Canadian citizen Nguyen Thi Hiep, 43, by a firing squad. In contrast, Toronto police cleared another woman who they discovered had been duped into carrying heroin into Canada via Pearson International Airport, in circumstances remarkably similar to those of the woman condemned to death in Vietnam. In the Toronto case, three men were later convicted on drug trafficking charges. However, said Detective Superintendent Ron Taverner, "We feel there are people who have not been brought before the courts in this case. We hope to have the co-operation of the Vietnam officials to help conclude this investigation." During a meeting here yesterday with foreign affairs officials, Toronto investigators formally requested that Canada ask Vietnamese police to participate in a joint investigation of a heroin-smuggling operation. Toronto police also hope to turn over information to Vietnamese authorities that may help win the release of the executed woman's 74-year-old mother, Tran Thi Cam, who is being held in a Hanoi prison. Tran, a landed immigrant in Canada, was convicted in April, 1997, of drug smuggling during a visit to Vietnam. She was arrested with Nguyen at the Hanoi airport after authorities found 5.4 kilograms of heroin in decorative panels Nguyen was carrying out of the country. Taverner wants to make sure justice officials in Vietnam are aware of all the facts surrounding Toronto's investigation and the strong similarities between the women arrested here and in Hanoi. He said the meeting with officials was helpful in determining the next steps. Detective Carl Noll, a member of the special investigation services major drug squad, said Toronto detectives believe there is substantial evidence that must be obtained from Vietnam. "We are anxious to work together with authorities there," he said. Foreign affairs officials are also planning strategies to learn from Vietnam why the Canadian woman was executed. Although Vietnam's ambassador to Canada had promised to have an answer to that question by this week, he has not yet responded. Top-level appeals had been made, including a direct request from Prime Minister Jean Chretien to the president of Vietnam, requesting clemency for Nguyen. Vietnamese authorities had assured Canadian officials that Nguyen would not be put to death until judicial officials had examined investigative documents prepared by Toronto police. However, those documents had not been received when the Vietnam-born Nguyen, who became a Canadian citizen in 1991, was marched in front of a firing squad. Canada was notified of the execution two days later. Taverner said he was shocked by that news. "We were not trying to interfere with Vietnam's judicial system, but just wanted to make sure they were aware of all the facts surrounding the case," he said. "From our perspective, there may have been some doubt." Canada's ambassador was recalled from Hanoi to protest the execution, and $16 million in aid has been put on hold. Foreign affairs officials are trying to determine what steps can be taken to persuade Vietnam to release Tran. - --- MAP posted-by: Greg