Pubdate: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Matthew Ramsey, staff writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) DRUG-SMUGGLER TRUCKER FACING A DECADE IN JAIL Guilty: Surrey Man Claims He Agreed To Do The Job Because He Was Threatened With Harm A Surrey trucker who claimed he was forced into smuggling cocaine after a botched attempt at hauling marijuana south will face at least 10 years in a U.S. jail. Steve Atilla Czinege was convicted in U.S. District Court last week of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The 40-year-old claimed he was forced into attempting to smuggle approximately 115 kilograms of cocaine into Canada Feb. 27, 2006, because he'd been involved in a previous failed attempt to truck 136 kilos of marijuana south into the U.S. The botched attempt resulted in the truck being seized by authorities and the loss of the drugs. The defence argued that Czinege was threatened with harm if he didn't comply with the later order to smuggle cocaine. "If his statement is true, it's a perfect example of the kind of trouble a trucker can get into," said Cpl. Norm Massie of the RCMP "E" Division Border Integrity unit. "You can expect threats to you and your family if you don't do [the crime ring's] work. If you get caught and you lose the shipment, you will be indebted to them." Czinege was arrested at the Lynden border crossing when U.S. border guards noticed a fuel tank on his empty rig had been altered. A search of the tanks revealed the cocaine in three duffel bags. The drugs were worth about $2 million. Czinege now faces a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence, though the length of his incarceration could change, depending on the decision of U.S. District Judge James Robart. Sentencing is slated for May 7. RCMP have set up a special hotline for truckers to call if they are approached to run contraband across the border or know of other truckers involved in the illegal activity. The number is 1-888-598-4602. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin