ORGANIZED CRIME LINK IN DOPE BUST?

Police Seize $400,000 In Marijuana At Scales

A truck discovered to be hauling at least $400,000 of high-grade marijuana at the West Hawk Lake weigh scales is believed to be linked to organized crime, Falcon Beach RCMP say.  An inspector found the drugs in a commercial semi-trailer headed to Ontario from Alberta about 10 p.m.  Saturday, said Cpl.  Chris Ballard.

"With 158 pounds ( 71.1 kg ) of marijuana, there's got to be some organization behind it," Ballard said.

West Hawk Lake is near the Manitoba-Ontario boundary, about 150 kilometres east of Winnipeg.

Ballard said marijuana has a street value of $2,500 to $3,500 per pound, making Saturday's bust worth as much as $553,000.

He said the marijuana -- shrink-wrapped and packaged in bundles -- was hidden in a cargo of mechanical parts.

The 38-year-old driver of the truck, whose name was not released, is expected to be charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

The company the man was working for is also under investigation, Ballard said.

The driver was released and will appear in Steinbach court June 2.

One of many

All vehicle traffic flowing between Eastern and Western Canada must travel on the Trans-Canada Highway through West Hawk Lake.  Saturday's find was one of many dope busts at the West Hawk Lake weigh scales.

On Feb.  25, two Quebec men were caught hauling about 154 kg of packaged marijuana in their eastbound commercial tractor-trailer.

In January, two B.C.  men were arrested for transporting a record-setting 37 kg of cocaine and 100 kg of marijuana in a tractor-trailer unit discovered at the West Hawk Lake weigh scales.