Pubdate: Mon, 15 Jul 2002
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Dene Moore, of the Canadian Press

CANADIAN DRUG PROFITS FUND TERROR: RCMP

VANCOUVER (CP) -- A portion of the $20 million (U.S.) worth of hashish 
imported into Canada annually financed terrorist groups in Afghanistan and 
Pakistan, according to RCMP.

More than 100 tonnes of hashish is brought into Canada every year, 
according to a confidential RCMP report obtained under access to 
information legislation.

Most of it comes from southwest Asia, particularly Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"This means that approximately $20 million (U.S.) finds its way back to the 
producers in the source countries," says the November 2001 report entitled 
Narco-terrorism and Canada.

"It is likely that terrorist elements in Afghanistan tax producers, thereby 
receiving a portion of the potential proceeds."

U.S. intelligence officials say drug profits have been used to finance 
terrorist activities. Ships in the Arabian Sea have been under intense 
scrutiny since the war began in Afghanistan in the fall, curbing the flow 
of drugs from the Middle East.

There are currently three Canadian ships on patrol in the area, according 
to the Department of National Defence.

The Canadian armed forces have apprehended vessels smuggling drugs, 
embargoed oil and other illicit materials.

In February, the HMCS Toronto, one of five Canadian warships patrolling the 
Arabian Sea at the time, found 90 wrapped packages of drugs. Each was 
stamped with the words "Freedom for Afghanistan," according to newspaper 
reports.

One to two tonnes of heroin is brought into Canada annually, an amount 
worth $10- to $20-million US, says the RCMP criminal intelligence brief.

Most comes from southeast Asia, particularly Burma.

"No large-scale importation of southwest Asian heroin originating in 
Afghanistan has been documented recently in Canada," says the report.

According to the United Nations Drug Control Program, Afghanistan produced 
4,600 tonnes of opium in 1999 -- 80 per cent of the world supply. Opium is 
used to make heroin.

Despite a poppy ban by the former Taliban government, the country produced 
3,300 tonnes in 2000 -- 70 per cent of world production.

Production fell to an estimated 185 tonnes in 2001 but the international 
body believes that as much as 60 per cent of the Afghani production has 
been stockpiled since 1996.

And there are reports that since the fall of the hard-line Taliban 
government, Afghani farmers have ripped up wheat crops to plant poppies -- 
the precursor to heroin and opium.

Coalition forces in Afghanistan will likely target drug production sites, 
according to another RCMP report prepared in October 2001.

In 2000, Canadian authorities seized approximately 23,000 kilograms of 
hashish and foreign authorities seized nearly 20,000 more en route to Canada.

"There's a certain amount of heroin that generates from that area of the 
world," says Det. Court Booth, of the Toronto City Police drug information 
unit.

According to an RCMP report entitled The Threat to Canada from Afghani 
Heroin, Opium and Hashish, the heroin that arrives from Pakistan and 
Afghanistan is brought in mainly through Montreal and Toronto.

Quebec seems to have a larger market for hashish than Ontario, says Booth.

Police and customs agents in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia seized 19 
kilograms of hashish earlier this month as part of the biggest drug bust in 
the nation's history.

The report says $30 million and $50 million (U.S.) worth of cocaine is 
imported to Canada annually and it earns South American insurgent groups 
anywhere from $1.5 million to $7.5 million (U.S.) annually.

"Narcotics have long been used by organized crime and extremist/terrorist 
groups as a means to generate revenues to support armed conflict," says the 
report.
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