Pubdate: Sat, 08 Jul 2000 Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2000, Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: 333 King St. E., Toronto, Ontario M5A 3X5 Canada Fax: (416) 947-3228 Website: http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoSun/ Forum: http://www.canoe.ca/Chat/newsgroups.html Author: John Schmied WAR ON DRUGS TAKING FLIGHT RCMP Set Up Shop At Airport Like an exhibit by Ripley's Believe It Or Not, cocaine dissolved in rum, hash packed in a hollow-bottomed cooking pot and grass in cans of process cheese were displayed at the opening of the RCMP's newest detachment yesterday. The Mounties' Pearson International Airport detachment -- their 13th in Ontario -- opened with a show of some of the imaginative ways people try to smuggle in drugs. SKY'S THE LIMIT "(Drugs) have been found in anything and any type of clothing apparel -- the sky's the limit, said RCMP Cpl. Larry Foy. Drug seizures are normally done by Canada Customs officers in conjunction with the RCMP, Foy said. Airport authorities have seized more than $23 million in drugs since last Oct. 1. The new, 100-member airport detachment not only gives the Mounties more means to intercept drugs but wider duties, said Insp. John Neily. SECURITY The RCMP has four mandate areas, of which the Federal Enforcement Section is the broadest, investigating and enforcing laws of customs and excise; immigration and passport; proceeds of crime; economic crime, and a national security and intelligence section. Neily said the detachment will be better organized and equipped to investigate organized crime, whose most visible activities are smuggling drugs, goods and people. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D