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Canadian Narcotics Trade Aids Terrorists, RCMP Say
Pubdate: Mon, 15 Jul 2002
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Section: Page A6
Copyright: 2002, The Globe and Mail Company
Contact: http://www.globeandmail.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Dene Moore, of the Canadian Press
CANADIAN NARCOTICS TRADE AIDS TERRORISTS, RCMP SAY
VANCOUVER -- A portion of the $20-million (U.S.) worth of hashish imported
into Canada annually financed terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan,
according to the RCMP.
More than 100 tonnes of hashish is brought into Canada every year,
according to a confidential RCMP report obtained under the Access to
Information Act.
Most of the hashish 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. Coalition forces have placed ships in the Arabian Sea
under intense scrutiny since the war began in Afghanistan in the fall,
curbing the flow of drugs from the Middle East.
In February, 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-million to $20-million (U.S.), 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 UN 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 the former Taliban government's ban on growing the poppies used to
make opium, the country produced 3,300 tonnes in 2000 -- 70 per cent of
world production. Production fell to an estimated 185 tonnes in 2001, but
UN officials believe that as much as 60 per cent of the Afghan production
has been stockpiled since 1996.
And there are reports that since the fall of the Taliban government, Afghan
farmers have ripped up wheat crops to plant poppies.
In 2000, Canadian authorities seized approximately 23,000 kilograms of
hashish, and foreign authorities seized nearly 20,000 more en route to Canada.
According to an RCMP report entitled The Threat to Canada from Afghani
Heroin, Opium and Hashish, the heroin from Pakistan and Afghanistan is
brought in mainly through Montreal and Toronto.
"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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