Legalizing it would cut police and court costs and generate revenue It's interesting, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court of Canada's decision expanding the definition of medical marijuana, to take another look at those parody-level attack ads the federal Conservatives released last month. You must know them by now - the goofy vignettes in which a panel of serious managers talks about potential hires, including Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau (we're about to "hire" a prime minister! Get it? Get it?!?!). Conservative attack ads fascinate me, because I'm convinced they're really bad on purpose, like the old Canadian Tire guy ones or any Tim Hortons radio or TV spot ever. It's all part of the strategy to get people talking about them. "Eeeuuchhh, did you see that idiot talking about how he ate the bowl? Anyway, I kind of want some chili in a bread bowl. You in?" [continues 708 words]
COLUMBIA - About 70 people showed up to Stewart Hall at MU on Thursday to hear two prominent drug law reform advocates recount reasons to legalize drugs, such as marijuana, and how to run a successful campaign in favor of the issue. Maj. Neill Franklin is a 33-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department. In the 1980s, he worked as an undercover narcotics officer in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where most of the arrests he made were for non-violent drug crimes, usually related to marijuana, he said. [continues 412 words]
Interdiction Strategy Draws Criticism The importation of illegal drugs into Canadian jails has increased over the past five years despite several new efforts to curb the flow, an internal government audit shows. While there were about 850 drug seizures in federal institutions during the 2001-02 fiscal year, that number climbed to 1,100 in 2003 and dropped slightly to approximately 1,050 last year. This, despite the introduction of Ion Mobility Spectrometry devices (which can detect if people have been handling drugs) at all institutions, detector dogs and the renewal of the federal government's National Drug Strategy in 2003. [continues 225 words]
New Detection Methods Fail To Stem Flow Into Federal Institutions The importation of illegal drugs into Canadian prisons has increased over the past five years despite several new programs designed to curb the flow, an internal government audit shows. While there were about 850 drug seizures in federal institutions during the 2001-2002 fiscal year, that number climbed to 1,100 in 2003 and dropped slightly to approximately 1,050 last year. This, despite the introduction of Ion Mobility Spectrometry devices (which can detect if people have been handling drugs) at all institutions, detector dogs and the renewal of the federal government's National Drug Strategy in 2003. [continues 373 words]
Skills More Valuable Than Ethnic Ties: Report Organized crime groups are increasingly reflecting Canada's multicultural society by ignoring the ethnic ties that used to define them, according to a large coalition of police forces. In its annual review of organized crime in this country, the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) says more recently formed organizations appear to value skill more than background. "Just as Canada has become a more multicultural society, so too have many organized crime groups," says the report, released yesterday. "Multicultural criminal organizations are increasingly evident, particularly among newly established and emerging groups, often as a reflection of the multi-ethnic demographics of their locale." [continues 509 words]
Staffing Crunch Means Many Cases Are Not Pursued: Report The RCMP squad that tracks down dirty money and goods obtained through crime can't pursue the majority of cases it knows about due to lack of manpower, internal documents reveal. According to an internal evaluation obtained by CanWest News Service, for each case the Mounties' Integrated Proceeds of Crime (IPOC) unit chooses to tackle, "at least four or five others" are ignored because the manpower isn't there. "Many cases of missed opportunities were raised," reads the document, prepared by the federal government's internal auditing service. "All of the (officers in charge) were able to provide detailed reports of cases that had not been pursued, or for which the number of targets were limited to only a few when many more should have been pursued," it adds. [continues 359 words]
The number of synthetic drug samples submitted to Health Canada by police for analysis has skyrocketed 650 per cent over five years, internal government briefings show, suggesting production of highly addictive narcotics like crystal methamphetamine continues to thrive here. "Greater numbers of clandestine laboratory seizures in Canada indicate that the synthetic drug industry is expanding," reads a briefing note prepared for federal Health Minister Tony Clement, obtained by the Citizen under the Access to Information Act. "In fact, the number of seized samples analysed by Health Canada has increased more than sevenfold from 1999 to 2004 (from 733 to 5,554 samples)." [continues 387 words]
OTTAWA -- The number of synthetic drug samples submitted to Health Canada by police for analysis has skyrocketed 650 per cent over five years, internal government briefings show, suggesting production of highly addictive narcotics like crystal methamphetamine continues to thrive here. "Greater numbers of clandestine laboratory seizures in Canada indicate that the synthetic drug industry is expanding," reads a briefing note prepared for federal Health Minister Tony Clement, obtained by CanWest News Service under the Access to Information Act. "In fact, the number of seized samples analysed by Health Canada has increased more than sevenfold from 1999 to 2004 [from 733 to 5,554 samples]." [continues 350 words]
Narcotics Production Thriving, Government Document Suggests OTTAWA -- The number of synthetic drug samples submitted to Health Canada by police for analysis has skyrocketed 650 per cent over five years, internal government briefings show, suggesting production of highly addictive narcotics such as crystal methamphetamine continues to thrive here. "Greater numbers of clandestine laboratory seizures in Canada indicate that the synthetic drug industry is expanding," reads a briefing note prepared for federal Health Minister Tony Clement, obtained by CanWest News Service under the Access to Information Act. [continues 430 words]
Force Can Tackle 'Maybe A Third' Of Serious Criminals, Commissioner Says The RCMP can't afford to fight the majority of organized crime activity in Canada, Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli admitted yesterday. "At this point in time, our best guess is that we're able to tackle maybe a third of what we know is out there, in terms of serious organized crime," he said, adding that is probably a generous estimate. "And remember, when I say one-third, that's of what we know." [continues 566 words]
Senate Testimony: Commissioner Says Force Doesn't Have The Resources OTTAWA - The RCMP cannot afford to fight the majority of organized crime activity in Canada, Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli said yesterday. "At this point in time, our best guess is that we're able to tackle maybe a third of what we know is out there, in terms of serious organized crime," he said, adding that is probably a generous estimate. "And remember, when I say one-third, that's of what we know." [continues 645 words]
OTTAWA - Methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana production is on the rise in Canada, a new report by the U.S. State Department says, and transnational crime groups are steadily importing more cocaine and heroin. While the American government's annual international narcotics review pegs the country as "primarily a drug consuming" one, Canada remains a significant producer of high-quality marijuana and a transit point for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals used in synthetic drugs. "Methamphetamine trafficking and availability rose during 2005," the document says, noting 95 per cent of the domestic supply comes from large, multi-kilogram operations. "Significant seizures of MDMA (ecstasy) from clandestine laboratories indicate they are larger and more sophisticated organized crime operations." [continues 297 words]
New Report By U.S. Urges Canada To Take Action On Narco-Trafficking OTTAWA - Methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana production is on the rise in Canada, a new report by the U.S. State Department says, and transnational crime groups are steadily importing more cocaine and heroin. While the American government's annual international narcotics review pegs the country as "primarily a drug consuming" one, Canada remains a significant producer of high quality marijuana and a transit point for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals used in synthetic drugs. [continues 433 words]
OTTAWA -- Methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana production is on the rise in Canada, a new report by the U.S. State Department says, and transnational crime groups are steadily importing more cocaine and heroin. While the American government's annual international narcotics review pegs the country as "primarily a drug consuming" one, Canada remains a significant producer of high-quality marijuana and a transit point for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals used in synthetic drugs. "Methamphetamine trafficking and availability rose during 2005," the document says, noting 95 per cent of the domestic supply comes from large, multi-kilogram operations. "Significant seizures of MDMA (ecstasy) from clandestine laboratories indicate they are larger and more sophisticated organized crime operations." [continues 339 words]
U.S. government's annual international narcotics review pegs Canada as primarily a user country James Gordon, The Ottawa Citizen OTTAWA -- Methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana production is on the rise in Canada, a new report by the U.S. State Department says, and transnational crime groups are steadily importing more cocaine and heroin. While the American government's annual international narcotics review pegs the country as "primarily a drug consuming" one, Canada remains a significant producer of high-quality marijuana and a transit point for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals used in synthetic drugs. [continues 470 words]
Methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana production is on the rise in Canada, a new report by the U.S. State Department says, and transnational crime groups are steadily importing more cocaine and heroin. While the American government's annual international narcotics review pegs the country as "primarily a drug consuming" one, Canada remains a significant producer of high-quality marijuana and a transit point for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals used in synthetic drugs. "Methamphetamine trafficking and availability rose during 2005," the document says, noting 95 per cent of the domestic supply comes from large, multi-kilogram operations. [continues 303 words]
Canada Major Source Of Marijuana, Ecstasy, Methamphetamine OTTAWA -- Methamphetamine, ecstasy and marijuana production is on the rise in Canada, a new report by the U.S. State Department says, and transnational crime groups are steadily importing more cocaine and heroin. While the American government's annual international narcotics review pegs the country as "primarily a drug consuming" one, Canada remains a significant producer of high-quality marijuana and a transit point for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals used in synthetic drugs. "Methamphetamine trafficking and availability rose during 2005," the document says, noting 95 per cent of the domestic supply comes from large, multi-kilogram operations. [continues 447 words]
Methamphetamine, Ecstasy and marijuana production is on the rise in Canada, a new report by the U.S. State Department says, and transnational crime groups are steadily importing more cocaine and heroin. While the American government's annual international narcotics review pegs the country as "primarily a drug consuming" one, Canada remains a significant producer of high-quality marijuana and a transit point for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals used in synthetic drugs. "Methamphetamine trafficking and availability rose during 2005," the document says, noting 95 per cent of the domestic supply comes from large, multi-kilogram operations. "Significant seizures of MDMA (ecstasy) from clandestine laboratories indicate they are larger and more sophisticated organized crime operations." [continues 236 words]
OTTAWA -- Canada is becoming a major exporter of narcotics to Japan, according to an RCMP intelligence report, and this country's links with Colombian drug cartels are multiplying. The national force's "Drug Situation in Canada" report for 2004 says Canada now ranks second as a source of methamphetamine seized in Japan (44 kilograms), after having no real presence there only two years ago. It also placed third in ecstasy shipments discovered, with 50,000 tablets, and accounted for 10 per cent of all marijuana seized (60 kg). [continues 356 words]
Intelligence Report Says Tech-Savvy Gangs Are Saying A Step Ahead Of The Police Organized crime groups are increasingly trading in gang colours for business suits, stopping turf wars in order to trade tactics and using the Internet to stay a step ahead of police, according to a national law enforcement group. At a press conference to release the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) annual update on organized crime trends, top Mountie and municipal police officials warned crooks today are more sophisticated than ever. [continues 386 words]
