DATE=2/6/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-209774

TITLE=HASHISH BUST (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=ALAN SILVERMAN

DATELINE=LOS ANGELES

CONTENT=

THE WELL-FINANCED SMUGGLING OPERATION SPANNED THE PACIFIC;

A "MOTHERSHIP" LOADED WITH 25-TONS OF HASHISH SAILED FROM

SOUTHWEST ASIA TO A SPOT IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC NORTH OF VANUATU

WHERE EIGHT TONS WERE TRANSFERRED TO AN AUSTRALIA-BOUND VESSEL.

WHILE AUSTRALIAN POLICE INTERCEPTED THAT SHIPMENT, THE

"MOTHERSHIP" CONTINUED TO A SECOND RENDEZVOUS EAST OF THE

MARSHALL ISLANDS WHERE THE REMAINING 17-TONS WERE OFF-LOADED ON

THE HIGH SEAS TO A LOS ANGELES-BOUND BARGE. WHAT THE ALLEGED

SMUGGLERS DID N-O-T KNOW IS THE BARGE WAS UNDER THE COMMAND OF

UNDERCOVER DRUG AGENTS WHO SPENT TWO YEARS TRACKING THE SUSPECTS.

ROBERT BENDER IS CHIEF OF THE U-S DRUG ENFORCEMENT

ADMINISTRATION'S LOS ANGELES FIELD OFFICE, WHICH COORDINATED

OPERATION "PACIFIC MARINER:"

THIS WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS EVER

UNDERTAKEN ON THE HIGH SEAS BY THE D-E-A. IT IS ONE OF

THE LARGEST HASHISH ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAS EVER BEEN

DETECTED AND WILL BE PROSECUTED BY THE CENTRAL DISTRICT

OF CALIFORNIA.

U-S ATTORNEY NORA MANELLA SAYS THE SIX MEN AND ONE WOMAN INDICTED

AND UNDER ARREST FOR ALLEGED CONSPIRACY TO SMUGGLE HASHISH COME

FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, HOLLAND AND AUSTRALIA:

IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS CONSPIRACY WOULD HAVE POURED 25-TONS

OF NARCOTICS, WITH A WHOLESALE VALUE OF A QUARTER-BILLION

DOLLARS, INTO THE STREAM OF INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE. THE

DISRUPTION OF THIS CONSPIRACY IS A TRIBUTE TO THE

ORGANIZATIONAL AND TACTICAL SKILLS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

ENFORCEMENT.

FEDERAL PROSECUTOR MANELLA DOUBTS THAT THE ALLEGED SMUGGLERS WERE AMATEURS MAKING THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT:

THERE IS NO REASON TO THINK THAT YOUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT

TRAFFICKING IN HASHISH IS A 25-TON DELIVERY. IT PROBABLY

WOULD N-O-T BE YOUR FIRST FORAY ... TO START WITH 25

TONS.

D-E-A AGENT BENDER EXPECTS MORE ARRESTS, BUT HE DESCRIBES THE

APPREHENDED SUSPECTS AS "HIGH-LEVEL" OPERATIVES IN A

WELL-FINANCED, GLOBAL ORGANIZATION:

YOU ARE LOOKING AT TRAVEL INTERNATIONALLY ... BALI,

GENEVA, TIJUANA; THEY HAD ABILITY TO TRAVEL

INTERNATIONALLY. THEY ALSO HAD SOPHISTICATED

COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS. MONEY DID N-O-T SEEM TO BE A

REAL PROBLEM FOR THEM.

IN DECEMBER, 18 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED IN AUSTRALIA FOR TRYING TO BRING IN THE EIGHT TONS OF HASHISH; AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE SENIOR LIAISON OFFICER SHANE CASTLES SAYS THE SEVEN RING-LEADERS COULD ALSO FACE CHARGES IN HIS COUNTRY:

THAT IS A REAL POSSIBILITY. THE MAIN ORGANIZERS OF THIS

SHIPMENT INTO NORTH AMERICA ARE ALSO ALLEGED TO BE

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF A SEPARATE SHIPMENT

INTO AUSTRALIA. THE FACT THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY

ARRESTED AND INDICTED IN NORTH AMERICA AND CANADA DOES

N-O-T MEAN THAT THEY CAN EXPECT TO ESCAPE SIMILAR CHARGES

IN AUSTRALIA.

HASHISH IS N-O-T A WIDELY-USED NARCOTIC IN THE UNITED STATES AND

AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THE BULK OF THE SHIPMENT WAS DESTINED FOR

CANADA, WHERE THREE OF THE SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED AND FACE

EXTRADITION TO THE UNITED STATES. THE U-S CHARGES CARRY MINIMUM

10-YEAR SENTENCES, BUT BECAUSE OF THE HUGE AMOUNT OF DRUGS

INVOLVED, THE FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SUGGESTS THE SUSPECTS FACE

20-YEAR PRISON TERMS IF CONVICTED. (SIGNED)

NEB/ADS/LWM

06-Feb-97 4:50 PM EST (2150 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America