SMUGGLERS HAD 400-YEAR POT SUPPLY

A van stopped near the Saskatchewan-U.S. border carried enough
marijuana to keep a moderate to heavy pot user happy for 320 to 480
years, a Regina courtroom heard Thursday.

"There is no way that amount of marijuana is for personal use," RCMP
drug expert Staff Sgt. Bruce McStay testified, explaining moderate to
heavy pot use would range from one to one and half grams per day.

"391 pounds of marijuana -- there's no doubt in my mind that's
possession for the purpose of trafficking," he said.

McStay was testifying at the jury trial of Daren Wayne Smith. The
40-year-old Abbotsford, B.C., man is accused of taking part in a
large drug smuggling operation between July 1, 2001 and June 22, 2002.

Court has heard authorities became suspicious in early 2002 about
activity around an illegal border crossing near Lake Alma in southern
Saskatchewan. An investigation was already in motion when on June 20,
2002, a U.S. border patrol officer stopped a van with B.C. plates
near the border. The van, rented by Smith, was carrying 391 pounds of
marijuana packed in Ziploc bags that were stuffed in nine hockey bags
tagged with coloured surveyor's ribbons.

McStay said the packaging and tagging, to allow for quick transfer to
various customers, suggest "we're not talking a mom-and-pop type of thing."

Paul Allan Noyce was driving the ill-fated van. He is one of three
men to testify that they hauled drugs to the U.S. and were paid by
Smith anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000. Primary courier Logan
Sebastian Green said he took about 10 marijuana shipments -- usually
between eight and 10 hockey bags -- into the U.S. between January and
June 2002.

At that time, pot was selling for about $2,700 to $3,000 Cdn a pound,
making the 391 pounds worth more than $1 million, McStay said. But
it's value was even higher in the U.S. because Canada has a
reputation for producing potent, good quality pot. "Canada is now
regarded as the leading exporter of marijuana to the United States
.. I suppose it's a success story for Canadian growers," he said.
Canadian pot delivered to California in 2002 was worth $4,500 US per
pound, court heard.

And while marijuana fetches a higher price south of the border,
cocaine is more expensive in Canada, McStay said. He added that
payment for marijuana might include a product such as cocaine.

Green testified that he brought back cocaine on three occasions after
dropping off pot. In one instance, there was about 25 to 30 kilograms
of cocaine, he said.

In cross-examination of Green, defence lawyer Glenn Orris suggested
Smith answered to two other men, known as "Nick" and his cousin "Z."
Asked if Green knew the "product" he was moving came from Nick and Z,
Green replied, "yes." Orris then suggested any cocaine was for Nick
and Z. "That's what I heard," Green replied.

In a statement to police on May 8, 2003, Green said he had seen Nick
pay Smith on at least one occasion. "Obviously, Daren was working for
them," said the statement. "I answer to Daren. He answers to them,"
Green had told police.