Pot times July 17, 2005
Pot Profits Will Soon Be 'Seized'
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1124/a03.htmlNewshawk: Herb
Pubdate: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 POT PROFITS WILL SOON BE 'SEIZED'
Source: Aldergrove Star (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Central Fraser Valley Star Publishing Ltd.
Contact:
newsroom@aldergrovestar.com
Website: http://www.aldergrovestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/989
Author: Natasha Jones
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm
(Asset Forfeiture)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm
(Cannabis - Canada)
One of the final pieces of legislation crafted by Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA
Rich Coleman before the May provincial election promises to become a significant
tool in the fight against drug crime.
The Civil Forfeiture Act was finalized and approved after it was introduced in
March by Coleman, then the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
The Act will be introduced in the fall session of the legislature by Coleman's
successor, Chilliwack MLA John Les.
Earlier this year, Langley Township council wrote to Coleman expressing concern
that B.C. Hydro has invaluable information" that could be used to
help law enforcement authorities.
Lower Mainland politicians were shocked to learn that the utility corporation
claimed that privacy legislation prevented it from reporting excessive use of
electricity. Hydro's defence came after 28 pot growing operations were
uncovered in one Coquitlam townhouse building. Marijuana plantations
require a great deal of electricity, and Hydro upgraded electricity services at
those townhouses.
In his response, which council received late last month, Coleman said that the
government was reviewing the privacy implications of B.C. Hydro providing
police and other authorities with access to customer information to see if there
is a way to allow disclosure while at the same time addressing legitimate
privacy concerns.
Langley MP Mark Warawa said at the time that Hydro was benefiting from the
proceeds of crime by accepting huge payments in cash." In his letter to
council, Coleman said that every effort must be made to counter the marijuana
grow operation problem. While police action will remain the primary means
to respond to the problem, we must also ensure that other measures are in place
to detect and deal with grow operations."
Earlier this year Coleman announced that provincial electrical inspectors would
team up with police, firefighters and bylaw enforcement officers in Surrey and
Abbotsford on two pilot projects aimed at countering grow-ops. If a
residence is found to be a hazard, utilities can be shut off.
It's very exciting," commented Mayor Kurt Alberts last week, adding that he
wondered how Langley could become part of the project.
The Civil Forfeiture Act is a direct response to the lucrative drug industry and
will provide a more effective means to attack the financial means of illegal
activity," allowing authorities to seize property believed to have been
gained through the profits of the drug trade, Coleman wrote.
The legislation contains the reverse onus" concept in which the owner or
occupant of a building busted for drugs will have to prove that the house and
items in it were purchased with legal" money, not that derived from illegal
drug activity.
Coleman told Black Press that the legislation pushes the window further than any
other jurisdiction in Canada.
In March, an undercover drug officer told a drug forum in Aldergrove that the
amount of pot grown in B.C. soared from 19,000 kilograms in 1997 to 79,000
kilograms in 2003. The drug is seen as the fuel that generates the income
for organized crime, which is linked to 85 per cent of grow-ops.