Drug Situation in Canada — 2003

Drug Situation in Canada - 2003
Criminal Intelligence Directorate
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Ottawa, July 2004

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Key Findings
• General
• Cocaine
• Heroin
• Opium
• Marihuana
• Liquid Cannabis Resin
• Hashish
• Synthetic Drugs
• Khat
• Appendix A
• Appendix B

Foreword
This report describes illicit drug trafficking activity in Canada in 2003. It is based on information and intelligence gleaned from investigations and seizures conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and various Canadian agencies and departments involved in drug enforcement.

Key Findings

• It is not uncommon for drug traffickers involved in conspiracies to import cocaine, Ecstasy and liquid cannabis resin to also control various marihuana grow installations in Canada.

• Marihuana cultivation continues to spread throughout the country. The exportation of Canadian marihuana to the United States is increasing.

• The importation of hundred kilogram quantities of cocaine into Canada is carried out mainly via sailing or fishing boats. This trend departs from previous years when the preferred smuggling method involved the use of marine containers.

• The decrease in hashish seizures over the past years could be attributable to a combination of factors: the impact of major enforcement actions in 2002, changes in national enforcement priorities, and a perceived waning popularity of this drug in favor of marihuana.

• The importation of Ecstasy from Europe (notably, the Netherlands) to Canada continues at a significant level. At the same time, the domestic manufacture of Ecstasy and its analogue, MDA, appears to be on the rise.

• Metamphetamine use, trafficking and production are of increasing concern across the country. The continued increase in methamphetamine popularity will be a considerable source of harm to consumers and a negative impact on the environment, as experienced in the U.S.

General

International Perspective
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) claims that the global illicit drug industry is worth about 8 percent of total international trade. In its most recent Organized Crime Report, Europol states that organized crime is increasing and drug trafficking remains its principal activity. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), its member countries spend over 120 billion a year to deal with drug abuse. These expenses include drug enforcement, prosecutions, prisons, prevention programs, treatment and health costs and financial losses incurred from drug-related crimes.

Concealment
Concealment methods are similar for all drug types. Quantities of five kilograms or less are smuggled in the postal system and by commercial courier. Air passengers will conceal drugs on or within their bodies, or within their luggage. Air cargo is another opportunity to bring in contraband in various quantities. Drugs are concealed in all types of commercial and personal shipments of produce and merchandise. Large drug shipments arrive by sea either concealed in marine containers, in the structure of cargo ships or aboard fishing vessels or pleasure crafts.

Cocaine
In 2003, approximately 3,740 kilograms of cocaine were seized in Canadian-related interdictions: 1,229 kilograms within Canada and an additional 2,511 kilograms abroad en route to the Canadian market.

Demand
According to Health Canada, cocaine is the second most widely abused illicit drug in Canada. Based on survey data, rates of lifetime use of powdered and crack cocaine in Canada have remained stable at slightly more than 3 percent. However, there are indications that use of powdered cocaine and crack is decreasing. In 1994, individuals reporting use in the past year had dropped to 0.7 percent from the 1989 rate of 1.4 percent (these are the latest data available).

Major seizures
In May 2003, 1,360 kilograms of cocaine were seized off the coast of the Galapagos Islands on board a vessel sailing for Canada’s west coast. The RCMP conducted this case with the assistance of the US Drug Enforcement Agency and police authorities in Costa Rica and Colombia. The shipment was destined for the Canadian market.

In July 2003, Ecuadorian authorities in Guayaquil found 210 kilograms of cocaine in a marine container of fruits destined for the Port of Montreal. In May 2003, at Lima airport, police discovered 200 kilograms of cocaine in an air cargo shipment of aluminum tubes en route to Toronto.

Transit countries
Jamaica and Guyana remain the most common transit points; however, the Caribbean islands of St. Lucia, St. Martin, Trinidad, Haiti and Curacao surfaced frequently as transhipment areas. Of the total amount of cocaine seized in Canada and abroad destined for Canada, 708 kilograms were tracked to Caribbean countries and 310 kilograms to Guyana.

The United States is another important transit point for cocaine shipments destined for Canada. For 2002, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) estimated that approximately 352 metric tonnes reached the American market. On average, 72 percent of cocaine enters the United States through the Central America-Mexico corridor, 27 percent through the Caribbean corridor and 1 percent is imported directly.

After reaching the U.S. either directly from South America or via the Caribbean or Mexico, shipments, in whole or in part, are often transported overland to Canada. Canadian drug importers also rely on U.S.- based trafficking groups as cocaine supply sources. In 2003, of the total amount seized (3,740 kg), approximately 563 kilograms of cocaine transited or were to transit the United States before reaching Canada. Commercial trucks are the most common method for introducing cocaine into Canada. Much of the smuggling of cocaine from the United States to Canada is connected to the smuggling of Canadian marihuana to the U.S.

Smuggling methods
Very few shipments of cocaine were detected in marine containers in 2003. This can be attributable to some factors that were mentioned in the 2002 situation report: heightened security worldwide at points of entry; new inspection measures implemented since 2001at all container ports in Colombia; and, two major police operations in 2002 that disrupted key internal conspiracy organizations at the Ports of Halifax and Montreal. In March 2003, 172 kilograms of cocaine were discovered in a container at the port of Halifax. The cocaine was concealed in a shipment of furniture originating from Haiti. Ecuadorian authorities uncovered cocaine (89 kg in April and 210 kg in July) in two marine containers destined for Montreal.

In 2003, approximately 662 kilograms of cocaine were seized from air cargo shipments, air passengers and air mail. Traffickers often coopt airport personnel to facilitate the smuggling of contraband. Incidents involving internal conspiracies were reported in 2003 at airports in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal.

Trafficking organizations
Colombian-based traffickers import shipments to Canada for the major crime groups or conspire with them (mainly Hells Angels and Italian-based organized crime elements) for imports. Other groups import varying quantities of cocaine into Canada, namely criminals of Carribean origin and various Canadian entrepreneurs. The preceding groups along with Asian-based criminals distribute this drug throughout Canada. Cocaine seizures along Canadian highways reveal that trafficking groups based in Western Canada are major suppliers for the rest of the country.

Heroin

In 2003, approximately 60 kilograms of heroin were seized in Canadian-related interdictions: 35 kilograms within Canada and an additional 25 kilograms abroad en route to the Canadian market.

As in 2002, the interdiction rate remains low. This does not, however, reflect a change in the supply and demand for this narcotic on the Canadian market. The availability and purity of heroin have not declined, while prices have remained stable.

Groups traditionally involved in heroin trafficking have expanded their activities to other substances, namely marihuana, Ecstasy and methamphetamine. The huge profit margin generated by these other drugs could explain this expansion.

Demand
Canadian authorities report that there are an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 hardcore heroin addicts in Canada consuming between 1 and 2 metric tonnes of heroin annually. Most reside in major metropolitan areas, chiefly Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

Southeast Asia
Despite the seizure data, there is sufficient supply of heroin to meet Canadian demand. Most of this drug available on the Canadian market originates in Southeast Asia.

In January 2003, FBI in New York arrested a drug trafficker with extensive connections to Asian-based organized crime in Vancouver, Toronto and New York City. The subject had in his possession 5 kilograms of heroin. The shipment appears to have been destined for the Toronto area. Members of Asian-based organized crime groups from the Toronto area involved in heroin trafficking have been linked to traffickers in the New York area.

Latin America
Of the 60 kilograms of heroin seized in or en route to Canada in 2003, 31 kilograms can be traced back to a Latin American point of departure such as Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama and Mexico. For 2002, total heroin seizures reached 46 kilograms with approximately 18 kilograms originating in Latin America. Traffickers established in Canada with ethnic links in aforementioned countries have orchestrated most of these importations to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

The main means of transportation remain air passenger, commercial courier and air cargo. Depending on the commercial routing used, these shipments arrive in Canada directly or via the United States. Approximately 66 percent of the seized heroin of Latin American origin transited or was to transit the U.S. As these Latin American traffickers expand their client base in Canada, importations from this region will increase and so will their transhipment through the U.S.

Southwest Asia
Drug traffickers from Southwest Asia (SWA), notably Pakistan, India and Iran continue to smuggle heroin in quantities ranging from 100 grams to 3 kilograms. Europe is a known destination point for SWA heroin and is also a transit point for such heroin destined to North America. In 2003, there were two seizures where the couriers had departed from Europe to travel to Canada with a shipment of heroin. The true origin of the opiate in these cases has not been determined, however.

Opium

Global production
According to International and U.S. sources, Afghanistan remained in 2003 the main source of opium, producing three quarters (an estimated 2,865 metric tonnes) of the world supply of illicit opium. Burma ranked second with an annual production of 484 tonnes and Laos ranked third with 200 tonnes. The rest is produced in Pakistan, Thailand, Colombia and Mexico.

The major illicit importations into Canada for 2003 came from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iran, Turkey and Germany. Officers at the Vancouver Container Examination Facility made a seizure of 18 kg of opium on October 14, concealed in a shipment of “cubed sugar” originating in the UAE. On October 29, a courier shipment from Turkey was seized at Vancouver International Airport, yielding 5 kg of opium; a large shipment for this mode of concealment. On November 3, Customs officers at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport seized 2 kg of opium concealed in a suitcase belonging to a passenger arriving from Frankfurt, Germany. On December 18, over 2 kg of opium were seized at Vancouver International Airport in an air cargo shipment from Iran.

Marihuana

Marihuana cultivation is by no means a new phenomenon in Canada. It has been practiced for several decades from coast to coast. Today, the extent of this illicit activity, the involvement of organized crime, and the potency of the drug are what differentiate the current situation from that which prevailed before the early nineties.

Demand
According to Health Canada, there is a significant level of demand for marihuana in Canada, particularly among youth. Based on survey data, rates of marihuana use in the total population have remained stable at approximately 23 percent for lifetime use and approximately 7 percent for past year use. Student surveys reflect much higher marihuana use rates: rates of past year use vary from 16 percent to 38 percent but are typically near 30 percent.

Supply
For the last five years, Canadian law enforcement agencies seized annually an average of 1.1 million marihuana plants, a six-fold increase since 1993. Based on seizures and average yield per plant, the current annual production estimate could likely range between 800 and 2,000 metric tonnes. In previous years, the 800 tonne estimate was arrived at using a 25 percent seizure ratio. In 2003, it was decided to use a range estimate maintaining the 25 percent ratio for the low-end and a 10 percent seizure ratio for the high-end range (i.e. 2,000 tonnes). For some police forces, investigations into marihuana grow operations represent more than half of their drug cases.

Multi-thousand plant operations are no longer uncommon. On January 16, 2003, in Chilliwack, BC, police uncovered four large metal barns housing a marihuana grow complex where over 3,000 plants were seized. On March 11, 2003, a fire at a residence in St-Rémi d’Amherst, Quebec led to the discovery of an indoor grow operation where over 12,000 marihuana plants were being cultivated. On July 3, 2003, in Camrose, Alberta, police discovered that marihuana growers were using a pig barn to cultivate over 10,145 plants. On September 3, 2003, Laval police dismantled grow operations located in five rental units within the same industrial park complex and seized over 10,000 plants in total.

In spite of the plentiful supply of domestic marihuana, importation conspiracies continue. In 2003, nearly 755 kilograms of foreign marihuana were seized in or en route to Canada.

THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) levels in Canada
For several years now, one of the most frequently reported aspects of marihuana production in Canada has been the Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, levels associated with Canadian marihuana. Increasingly, Canadian marihuana is being referred to as “high-grade,” with reported THC levels averaging 20percent or more. It should be pointed out, however, that such statements are not quite accurate. According to Health Canada official laboratory analyses of marihuana (grown outdoor and indoor) samples since 1998, THC levels average 10 percent. One single marihuana exhibit in the last two-years did test at a THC level of 27 percent. However, the majority, or some 60 percent of exhibits, recorded THC levels of 9 percent or less, and 32 percent of exhibits had THC levels of between 10 percent and 14 percent.

Criminality
Police in all provinces are reporting marihuana cultivation as one of their main drug enforcement problems (See Appendix B: Marihuana Seizures in 2003 by Province and Territory). This criminal activity has reached levels that could be deemed epidemic in the provinces of British Columbia (B.C.), Ontario and Quebec. Interdictions on the highways, at bus, train and domestic airport terminals clearly indicate that BC is fast becoming a source of marihuana for the Prairie provinces and other eastbound destinations.

On October 16, during a routine traffic stop of a tractor trailer in Saskatchewan along the Trans-Canada Highway, police found 236 kilograms of marihuana hidden among its cargo. The drugs were destined for Brampton, Ontario. On March 16, at a weighing station in Manitoba, Transport officers located 272 kilograms of marihuana hidden in the commercial shipment of a tractor trailer which was en route to Ontario. On December 20, at the same weighing station, another tractor trailer was intercepted with 290 kilograms of marihuana again destined for Ontario.

Violence
Violence has always been an intrinsic part of the production, trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs, and marihuana is no exception. The general consensus among law enforcement is that violent incidents are on the rise in most areas of the country, although this increase cannot be quantified through hard data at this point. Home invasions, drug rip-offs, burglaries, assaults, and murders, are only a few examples of the dangers that are par for the course when dealing in drugs. Booby traps of all sorts, usually intended to protect the grow operations from thieves, are reported. In April 2004, in a rural area in southwest Quebec, a man was shot and killed when he inadvertently triggered his own booby trap (a 12 gauge shotgun).

Export of Canadian Marihuana to the U.S.
The export of Canadian marihuana to the U.S. has become a thriving industry across Canada, particularly in BC, Ontario and Quebec. Seizures of marihuana going south, proceeds coming north, and cocaine coming north (purchased with marihuana proceeds) clearly support this trend. This industry has brought about an abundance of U.S. currency in Canada. Some marihuana traffickers are conducting black market currency exchange. Some also deal with unscrupulous currency exchange businesses that charge a premium to handle the transactions discreetly.

Despite the preceding, most of the marihuana available on the American illicit market still originates primarily in the U.S. and in Mexico. Canada ranks far below Mexico as a source for the U.S. The following comparative data of U.S. Customs seizure statistics (see below) put this situation into perspective.

Marihuana Production in the United States
U.S. authorities continue to report that their primary source of marihuana remains the United States. Two recent reports on U.S. drug issues (the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released by the Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, March 2004 and the National Drug Threat Assessment 2004 released by the US National Drug Intelligence Center), have tentatively estimated that there are approximately 10,000 metric tonnes of marihuana produced in the United States annually. There is a perception in the enforcement community that the greater portion (possibly over two thirds) of this marihuana is cultivated outdoors.

THC levels in the United States
The University of Mississippi conducts on an ongoing basis a Marihuana Potency Monitoring Program to determine THC levels in marihuana samples provided for analysis. From 2000 to 2003, commercial grade marihuana (U.S. general designation for marihuana cultivated outdoors) had an average of 4.91 percent while sinsemilla marihuana (designation for marihuana in bud form) averaged 11.28 percent of THC. The highest THC level obtained was 33percent from a sample from an Oregon case in 1997.

Liquid Cannabis Resin

Liquid cannabis resin (also known as cannabis oil, weed oil, marihuana oil and hash oil) is manufactured in Canada from locally produced marihuana. In 2003, approximately 773 kilograms of liquid cannabis resin were seized in Canadian-related interdictions: 288 kilograms within Canada and an additional 485 kilograms abroad en route to the Canadian market.

In some parts of the country, it is not unusual to discover processing installations when conducting raids on marihuana cultivation sites.

Demand
Canadian demand for liquid hashish is concentrated in Central and Eastern Canada, particularly in northern Ontario and the Atlantic provinces. The RCMP estimates that 6 to 8 tonnes of liquid hashish are smuggled into Canada annually, and an increasing number of liquid hashish synthesis installations are being discovered.

Supply
Jamaica is the main source of foreign liquid cannabis resin found on the Canadian market. Authorities believe that approximately 50 percent of the imported liquid resin enters Canada through Pearson International Airport in Toronto. The rest is imported by sea and overland by Canadian traffickers dealing with brokers based in Jamaica and Florida. The drugs are most often brought to Florida by small boats and then transported overland through the United States to Canada, particularly southern Ontario.

On October 9, 2003, police in Nassau, Bahamas seized 482 kilograms of liquid hash concealed in false compartments of a fishing boat. The drug was destined for Montreal. It is unknown, however, if the contraband was to be transported by sea directly to Canada or was to transit the United States by land. The Canadian subject who was arrested has been linked to previous hash oil importation conspiracies.

Hashish

In 2003, hashish seizures in Canada amounted to approximately 10,903 kilograms. One single seizure that occurred in Halifax in January 2003 represents almost that entire amount with 10,717 kilograms. After having weathered severe seas, a container ship arrived in Halifax on December 27, 2002, with a number of damaged containers. Some days later, the hashish was found amid the cargo of one of the damaged containers. Its shipment consisted of a shipment of cat food originating in Pakistan.

With the exclusion of this last case, a little less than 200 kilograms were seized throughout the year. The decrease in seizure levels since 2001 can be attributable to a number of factors. Popularity of hashish is waning in favor of marihuana and importers are reacting accordingly. Enhanced portal security measures worldwide are also limiting the export of contraband such as hashish. Furthermore in 2001 and 2002, police successfully targeted a number of organizations. These networks in the Ports of Montreal and Halifax assisted importers by removing containers or their contents from the docks before authorities could conduct any form of inspection. These criminal groups were disrupted and have yet to reestablish themselves fully.

Traffickers, however, are still conspiring to import multi-tonne shipments of hashish by marine container, by ship and by air cargo.

Kilogram quantities of hashish are usually smuggled into the country by couriers traveling aboard commercial airlines from source countries to Canada. Importers resort to air freight to smuggle larger shipments.

Synthetic Drugs

Introduction
Trafficking and use of controlled synthetic drugs have become firmly entrenched in the Canadian illegal drug culture. While the rave phenomenon served as the primary vehicle for the proliferation of Ecstasy trafficking and use, it also led to the introduction of other club drugs and the resurgence of established illicit synthetics, notably methamphetamine. The unprecedented rise in illegal synthetic drug use is a direct by-product of raves (all-night dance parties) and the club drug scene. However, representative sampling indicates that the use of synthetic drugs is expanding from these traditional areas to more mainstream use. While youth and young adults remain the main users of synthetic drugs, there are also increasing reports of adult usage.

The synthetic drug trade is multidimensional, involving importation, exportation, domestic production and trafficking. In Canada, it has evolved from a relatively small market to a huge profit-making opportunity, enticing major organized crime networks to reap the benefits of this lucrative international enterprise.

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Demand
According to Health Canada, the demand for MDMA in Canada is increasing, and the drug appears to be preferred among adolescents and young adults particularly in Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario. The results of a national study of Canadian university students in 1999 concluded that 2.4 percent of the students had used MDMA in the past year. The Ontario Student Drug Use Survey, published by the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in 2003, revealed that adolescent MDMA use increased from 0.6 percent in 1993 to 6 percent in 2001.

Supply
Canadian MDMA seizures reflect the unabated supply and demand markets for this drug in North America. The amount of MDMA seized at Canadian ports of entry soared from multi-thousand quantities in the 1990s to over 2 million in 2000. The seizure rate stabilized in 2001 and 2002 with approximately 1.9 and 1.8 million tablets, respectively. In 2003, however, the amount of Ecstasy seized almost tripled compared to 2002. This exponential increase is supported by a shift towards the importation of large powder MDMA shipments from Western Europe for re-processing to tablet form in Canada.

MDMA is smuggled from Europe into North America via couriers aboard commercial flights, the postal service, airfreight shipments and marine container. MDMA shipments imported into Canada arrive either directly from European source countries (the Netherlands and, to a lesser extent, Belgium and Germany) or transit other European countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Although imported European MDMA accounts for the bulk of Ecstasy available in the North American market, domestic production continues to be of significant concern. In addition to synthesis labs, sophisticated tableting operations are also being increasingly uncovered in Canada. In a 2003 Canadian investigation involving the dismantling of a major tableting facility, intelligence determined that an Asian organized crime group was responsible for this operation.

Ongoing recent trends of domestic production include polydrug manufacture and multi-site operations (different stages of synthesis are conducted at different locations). Overall, clandestine synthetic drug laboratories are larger and more sophisticated, and range in location from rural cabins to urban residential dwellings and commercial establishments.

Trafficking Groups
Organized crime groups involved in the importation, production and trafficking of Ecstasy include Asian, Dominican, East European, Israeli and Dutch nationals. Outlaw motorcycle gangs are known to be major controllers of the Ecstasy trade, particularly in Quebec where the bikers control most drug trafficking activities in the region.

Methamphetamine

Demand
In Canada, surveys conducted among high school students indicate an increase in methamphetamine use among that population. Data on fluctuations in use among the adult population are not available.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently stated that ‘methamphetamine is the most widely used illicit drug after marihuana’. Concomitantly, the domestic production and trafficking of methamphetamine has dramatically increased while its distribution and use have reportedly skyrocketed in some regions of Canada. The continued increase in methamphetamine popularity will be a considerable source of harm to consumers and a negative impact on the environment, as experienced in the U.S.

Supply
In comparison to the Ecstasy situation, the bulk of methamphetamine available in the Canadian illicit market derives from domestic supply. Occasionally, significant amounts of methamphetamine are imported into the country. Seizure data also indicates that domestically manufactured methamphetamine is being exported from Canada to other countries. Small to moderate amounts of the drug have been intercepted en route to the United States and in Japan.

Trafficking Groups
The domestic manufacture of methamphetamine has become more diversified, with different preferred methods of production observed in various regions of the country. Organized crime has also expanded its role in the methamphetamine trade. Outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime groups and independent trafficking networks are all heavily involved in the drug’s production and trafficking aspects.

Other Synthetic Drugs

Ketamine and Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate (GHB) are among the more popular drugs that have been introduced within the rave and club drug environments. It is GHB, however, that has developed into a prominent law enforcement problem. Cross border trafficking of GHB kits (including the precursor chemical GBL) was highlighted in 2002 with the dismantling of an organized crime group in Quebec that was selling these kits over the Internet to customers in the United States. A large organized GHB kit mailing operation in Ontario was also intercepted. Intelligence indicates continued high demand for GHB kits with the Internet being the primary vehicle through which they are made available to clients worldwide. There is confirmation that both Canadian and European websites are selling GHB kits or GBL itself in significant amounts to clients internationally. Domestic clandestine GHB laboratories, particularly in the Western region, provide supplies for regional traffickers.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has reported a continuing increase in the number of illicit anabolic steroid shipments entering Canada. Anabolic steroid trafficking represents the most prevalent problem involving cross-border smuggling of other synthetic drugs. The United States appears to be a major source country of origin or transit for anabolic steroids entering Canada. From 1999 to 2002, 390 steroid seizures were effected by CBSA where the U.S. was the country of origin. This represents 48percent of all steroid interceptions made during this period. Most of these shipments crossed the border via the postal or courier mode and usually involved small quantities intended for personal use. In ranking order, Thailand, Poland and China are other important points of origin for anabolic steroids entering Canada. While Mexico is a notable supplier for diverted anabolic steroids, most shipments reaching Canada do so through the United States.

Psilocybin (magic mushrooms), phencyclidine (PCP), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and diverted or counterfeit pharmaceuticals continue to be available in the Canadian illicit market in small to moderate quantities.

Precursor chemicals

The implementation of Canadian precursor control regulations in January 2003 responded directly to the increasing domestic and international problems of chemical diversion. From 1999 to 2002, large quantities of pseudoephedrine (PSE) originating from Canadian sources were diverted to methamphetamine “super-labs” in the U.S. This heightened the concern of cross-border trafficking between Canada and the U.S. and the urgency for Canada to implement precursor regulations.

Since the Canadian controls came into effect in 2003, American law enforcement authorities report a large decrease in Canadian PSE seizures by highway patrols. Thus, Canada is no longer considered by American authorities as a major source country for pseudoephedrine used in the illicit manufacture of methamphetamine in the U.S.. Also, as a result of a joint U.S.-Canadian investigation which concluded in April 2003, three primary Canadian pseudoephedrine tablet manufacturers were put out of business while several U.S./Canada-based Middle Eastern criminal organizations were dismantled. The RCMP National Precursor Chemical Diversion Program continues to have positive impact on the chemical industry through its efforts to prevent and control chemical diversion.

Organized crime groups continue to be involved in diverting chemicals both within Canada and from Canada to the United States. It is notable that these groups are also seeking to move shipments of powder ephedrine and possibly pseudoephedrine rather than the tablet form.

As discussed in the section “other synthetic drugs”, the diversion of the precursor GBL for the manufacture of GHB has become a serious domestic concern. Intelligence reveals that GBL diversion attempts have been thwarted by Canadian chemical businesses which in at least one case, resulted in the company discontinuing GBL importation.

Khat

Khat (Catha Edulis) is legal in many countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Eritrea and in Great Britain where it can be legally imported, distributed, used and exported. In Canada, Khat is designated a “controlled substance” under Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act (CDSA). Therefore, it is an offence to import, export and traffic Khat.

Seizures of Khat in Canada amounted to over 22 tonnes in 2003, a five tonne increase over 2002. As this substance is quite perishable, it is transported into Canada mainly by air: air cargo, air mail or commercial courier and the passenger stream. Most (85 percent) of the seizures were effected at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport while the rest occurred at Montreal airports (10 percent), Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier International Airport (3.5 percent) and other Canadian international airports (1.5 percent).

Most large shipments arrive by air cargo. In 2003, however, there were at least two incidents where Customs officers discovered more than 240 kilograms concealed in six suitcases in one case and eight in another, belonging to a group of passengers arriving on the same flight.

Of the 270 major khat shipments seized by CBSA, 212 originated from the United Kingdom and 36 from the Netherlands. The rest were shipped from Germany, Italy, Sweden, Kenya and Trinidad.

Appendix A

Seizures made by RCMP, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Sûreté du Québec, Ontario Provincial Police and municipal police forces of Montréal, Laval and Toronto

Appendix B

Marihuana Seizures in 2003
(by Province and Territory)

The following table is a breakdown of the marihuana seizures reported in 2003 by the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, Toronto Police Service, Montreal City Police, Laval Police Department and Canada Border Services Agency.

Of the total 21,519,549 grams seized in Canada, approximately 1,188,632 grams are of foreign origin.

Main | About CID | Director's Commentary | Reports