47. On January 10, 1996 at approximately 1405 hours, Sgt. ROGERS produced the envelopes and messages which had been turned over to the Victoria Police Department. I personally seized these items for investigation. Two communiqués accompanied the index card with the attached razor blade, which can be described as a "threatening communiqué" and a "press release communiqué".

48. I attended the Forensic Identification Section of the Victoria Police Department and with the assistance of Constable Doug ABRAHAMSON, I examined the brown envelope which contained the yellow index card which had the razor blade attached to it. The envelope was examined under an ultra violet light which illuminated my initials. These initials were placed there by myself with an ultra-violet marking pen on December 29, 1995 when I entered locker #5525. situated at Lower Mainland Mini-Storeroom, 1396 Richards Street, Vancouver, British Columbia pursuant to executing the Warrant issued by Judge Godfrey.

49. It is my belief that the brown envelope which contained the yellow index card with the razor blade attached to it, is one from the group of 29 which were contained in locker # 5525 that I marked for identification on December 29, 1995.

50. On January 10, 1996, I attended at the Lower Mainland Mini-Storeroom, 1396 Richards Street, Vancouver, and examined the outside of locker #5525. The markers I had placed on December 29, 1996 in order to identify if the locker had been opened by anyone, were missing.

51. It is my belief that locker # 5525 had been entered by either THURSTON or BARBARASH or a person acting on their behalf with their permission between the dates of December 29, 1995 and January 10, 1996, specifically January 5, 1996.

52. On January 10, 1996, I examined the sign-in box at the Lower Mainland Mini-Storeroom, 1396 Richards Street, Vancouver between the dates of December 30, 1995 and January 10, 1996. I observed an entry on January 5, 1996 at 4:40 p.m. where someone had signed in as "Janet T." for locker #5525.

53. On January 12, 1996, I was advised by Cpl. FORESTELL of Vancouver NSIS, and verily believe it to be true, that he compared true copies of the two letters received by the Times - Colonist newspaper which had accompanied the index card with the razor blade attached to it, with a copy of the similar letters which were located with the envelopes containing the index cards with razor blades attached found in the file box in locker # 5525 situated at 1396 Richards Street, Vancouver, B.C. on November 7, 1995. The following comparisons were made:

(a) That in both cases, one document can be described as a "press release" communiqué and the second one as a threatening communiqué.

(b) The threatening communiqué is identical from both dates.

(c) The comparisons of the "press release" communiqués shows that they both contain the exact same wording except for the following differences:

(i) The one found in the file box on November 7, 1995 has the date as "July, 1995", while the one on January 10, 1996 has "January 1995" followed by the words "Happy New Year".

(ii) The one from November 7, 1995 refers to the "outfitters across BC", while the January 10, 1996 communiqué refers to "outfitters across British Columbia and Alberta".

(iii) The one from November 7, 1995 signs the document from the "Justice Department - Roving Unit" while the one from January 10, 1996 signs it from the "Justice Department".

(iv) In both communiqués, the word "there" is used where grammatically the word "their" should have been used.

(v) In the communiqué found on November 7, 1995, the warning at the bottom of the text, starting with the words "Please open it carefully" is indented almost to the centre of the page, while in the communiqué received on January 10, 1996, the same sentence is lined up with the left hand margin.

(vi) Both documents appear to have been printed from a computer printer or are a photocopy of an original document as opposed to being from a typewriter.

54. On January 12, 1996, I appeared before her Honour Judge ARNOLD, a Provincial Court Judge, in and for the Province of British Columbia, and swore an Information to Obtain a Warrant. She subsequently issued a Warrant under Section 487.01 Criminal Code of Canada, authorizing Peace officers to enter locker # 5525, situated at Richards Street, Vancouver, B.C. to:

(a) examine the contents of the file box and determine what items have been removed including:

(i) how many of the envelopes containing the index cards, with attached razor blade, previously marked on December 29, 1995 with an ultra-violet marking pen, have been removed from the locker, and

(b) examine the file box to ascertain whether any other items have been placed in the box since the box was last examined on December 29, 1995.

55. On January 12, 1996, I, along with other Peace officers, entered locker # 5525 situated at 1396 Richards Street, Vancouver, B.C. pursuant to the Warrant issued by Judge ARNOLD, and examined the contents of the file box contained therein. I confirmed that all 29 envelopes which I had personally marked on December 29, 1995 with an ultra-violet pen containing the yellow cards with razor blades attacked and the enclosed threatening letters, had been removed from the file box. Also that an orange plastic bag with the brand name "STAPLES" on it, was found in the file box. Inside the bag was a purple balaclava, a new package of #10 white envelopes from Grand & Toy, and a large number of clear plastic covers used for heat sealing pieces of identification or cards. This bag of items was not in the file box originally.

56. On January 12, 1996, Corporal Rob KUSE ("Cpl. KUSE"), Vancouver RCMP, Special "I" Section, attended at the Lower Mainland Mini-Storeroom situated at 1396 Richards Street, Vancouver, B.C. in the company of myself and members of Vancouver NSIS. He installed a covert video surveillance camera which allowed the viewing of locker # 5525 and surrounding area to be monitored and video recorded. This was done with the written permission of the owner of the Lower Mainland Mini-Storeroom, Mr. Chris GREEN.

57. On April 2, 1996, I was advised by Cst. DESBIENS, of Vancouver NSIS, whom I verily believe, that:

(a) Twenty-six (26) of the razor blade affixed index cards have been received at the National Security Investigations Section.

(b) Twenty-six (26) of the envelopes that contained the razor blade affixed index cards have been confirmed as having my initials (WLR") marked in ultra-violet pen.

58. On April 4, 1996, I was advised by Cst. DESBIENS, whom I verily believe, that as exhibit man in the investigation concerning the razor blade campaign by the "JUSTICE DEPARTMENT", he has compiled the following information. The intended recipients of the envelopes which contained a razor blade affixed to an index card are:

(21 names and addresses deleted to protect identity)

59. It is my belief that the twenty-six (26) envelopes containing the razor blades and threatening letters received, throughout British Columbia and Alberta, are from THURSTON's locker # 5525, located at the Lower Mainland Mini-Storeroom, at 1396 Richards Street, Vancouver, B.C.

60. On February 23, 1996, I was advised by Cst. DESBIENS, whom I verily believe, that:

(a) On December 12, 1995, he received an audio cassette tape from a Mr. KAHLID, who is an employee of a local Radio station, CFRO, 102.7 FM, located at 337 Carrall Street, Vancouver, B.C. Mr. KAHLID advised Cst. DESBIENS that the audio was an interview of THURSTON and BARBARASH done by a Roslyn CASSELLS on November 13, 1995.

(b) He made a copy of that tape, and had a typed transcript made of the conversation on the tape.

(c) He has listened to the tape and compared the transcript to the conversation on the tape and states that the typed transcript is a true and accurate reflection of the conversation on the audio tape.

61. I have personally listened to a duplicate of the audio tape and read the corresponding transcript. The following comments were made during the course of the interview:

(a) Both BARBARASH and THURSTON openly admitted to being involved with the Animal Liberation Front ("ALF") and to being associated to the Earth First movement.

(b) BARBARASH explained that the "philosophy" behind the ALF movement is one of "direct action". He stated that time is the main factor involving the animal rights movement and the usual petitions and lobbying tactics are too time consuming. He stated that "taking animals from the laboratories immediately saves lives destroying animal abusers' property". He further stated that "causing financial loss to animal abusers, usually through the damage and destruction of property" is an example of the "direct action".

(c) BARBARASH stated that "it is a non-violent campaign activists taking precautions not to harm any persons or animal because of ALF actions are against the law, activists work anonymously either in groups or individually and do not have an essential contact address or any centralized organization or co-ordination.".

(d) BARBARASH stated that direct action "produces results immediately".

(e) Both THURSTON and BARBARASH openly admitted that they have been involved in criminal activity for their cause and have both gone to prison as a result.

(f) THURSTON described the preparation that should be done prior to doing a "raid" on a facility, specifically a laboratory. He said that "there's this ah you know general surveillance of the area. . . there's many nights were taken you know basically lying in the bushes and watching the building and watching the security guards and seeing when the rounds were and seeing who works there and the times and schedules and going inside the building to you know, check it out before we do anything and you know all is pretty common stuff for any type of direct action."

(g) BARBARASH described how to live "underground" avoiding prosecution as he did for approximately two years before being arrested in the United States. When asked about "suggestions" he would give to a person who is contemplating "direct action for animals say regarding phone use, communications, tools and stuff like that the practical things". His response was "Shut up." He further stated "Don't talk to anyone. Don't even tell anyone that you're interested in doing these kinds of things. The only people that should know are the people that you can completely trust and that you are going to be working with."

(h) THURSTON went on to add "another couple of little things is a if you want to go out and do direct action" is the "first place the police are going to look is above ground groups. So if you want to do something it's best not to be going to every other animal rights rally in town because they're going to be taking pictures of those people that are there and, as Dave says, shut up, we don't want to hear about it, we don't, your friends don't want to hear about it and if you go to jail you should shut up, too. I sure as heck would never you know say anything to any police officer about anyone else that ever did anything".

(i) BARBARASH commented on the British Animal Liberation Front. He stated that "So things in Britain are constantly ongoing with the police. Surveillance of activists is really intensified. . . ah. . . activists homes are bugged, activist phones are taped as they are here ah. . . but the surveillance there is getting a lot greater."

62. On February 15, 1996 and April 22, 1996, I was advised by C/M BEVERIDGE, of the RCMP Forensic Identification Laboratory in Vancouver, and verily believe, that:

(a) He received a red and black nine volt battery connector and some nails from Cpl. FORESTELL on December 5, 1995. These exhibits were seized from the Scott parcel pipe bomb.

(b) He compared the nine volt battery connector from the SCOTT parcel pipe bomb to the battery connector from the parcel pipe bomb from the MACKENZIE Institute in this investigation and the five found in THURSTON and BARBARASH's locker # 5525, and has concluded that they are indistinguishable in construction, dimensions, and composition.

(c) He has concluded that the speaker wire attached to the red wire on the battery connectors in the SCOTT parcel pipe bomb and the MACKENZIE parcel pipe bomb are indistinguishable and are attached by the same type of colourless tape.

(d) The red wire from the ALTA GENETICS INC. parcel pipe bomb battery connector (which was partially destroyed) is a seven strand copper wire which is indistinguishable in construction, dimension, and composition from the red wire component of the battery connectors from the SCOTT and ALTA GENETICS INC. parcel pipe bomb as well as the battery connectors found in BARBARASH and THURSTON locker.

(e) The portion of battery connector without wires found in the ALTA Genetic parcel pipe bomb has the same construction, dimensions, and composition as the equivalent portion of the battery connectors from BARBARASH and THURSTON's locker and the connectors from the SCOTT and MACKENZIE Institute parcel pipe bombs.

(f) There were 69 of 2.5" common nails contained in the SCOTT parcel pipe bomb, 91 of 2.5" finishing nails in the ZUNDEL parcel pipe bomb; 92 of 2" common nails used in the ALTA GENETICS INC. parcel pipe bomb, and 69 of 2" common nails in the MACKENZIE Institute parcel pipe bomb.

(g) He had previously miscounted the nails and that the information he initially provided in this regard was not entirely correct.

63. That on February 29, 1996, I was advised by C/M Michael ASSELIN, an analyst with the RCMP Forensic Laboratory Toxology Section, whom I verily believe, that:

(a) He received one of the razor blade letters and the yellow gelatinous semi-liquid substance from the C/M BEVERIDGE on January 4, 1996. These were the exhibits removed from THURSTON and BARBARASH's locker on November 7, 1995.

(b) He examined these exhibits and performed various tests on them. As a result of doing these tests, he determined that:

(i) No drugs or poisons were present on the surface of the razor blade, including methenamine or rat poison.

(ii) The yellow substance contains the chemical methenamine. The chemical methenamine is used in numerous industrial processes. These include in adhesives, coatings, sealant compounds, the chemical detection of metals, the preservation of hides, as a plastic hardener, as a dye fixative, as fuel tablets for camping stoves and as a precursor for the manufacture of explosives. When pure, methenamine is a crystalline, odourless powder.

(iii) The yellow substances submitted for analysis is a mixture of numerous waxy-like compounds and has a very strong, unpleasant "fishy odour".

(c) He also stated that:

(i) Methenamine is also known as hexamine and HMTA. Methenamine can be easily reacted with fuming nitric acid to yield the explosive cyclonite, also known as the high explosive RDX or T4. This explosive is used in plastic explosives.

(ii) Methenamine can also be reacted with hydrogen peroxide and citric acid to yield the explosive hexamethylene -triperoxidediamene (HMTD). This explosive is sometimes used as a detonator and can be used to detonate RDX (cyclonite). Both RDX and HMTD can be made from methenamine. Methenamine itself is very stable and is not explosive. It does burn with a smokeless flame.

(iii) The chemicals needed to manufacture RDX and HMTD are readily available. It should be noted that both of these explosives are not detectable by x-rays. In addition, HMTD is relatively difficult to detect by routine laboratory analysis for explosives.

(iv) HMTD has been used by terrorists in the Middle East.

(v) Common rat poisons include warfarin and strychnine. No chemicals or drugs, including rat poison, were detected on the razor blade. It should be noted that cyclonite (RDX) can be used as a rat poison. It is possible, therefore, that the reference to rat poison in the threatening letter may refer to RDX and not to more common poisons. This would also suggest that the individuals involved probably have knowledge of how to make RDX from the precursor methenamine.

64. On March 22, 1996 and June 18, 1996, I was advised by Cst. LABOSSIERE, whom I verily believe, that:

(a) On March 6, 1996, he was assigned as exhibit man on a new investigation involving the mailing of envelopes containing index cards which had razor blades affixed to them, to various media outlets and businesses involved in the animal fur business.

(b) He attended at the Vancouver Sun Newspaper office, 2250 Granville Street, Vancouver, on March 6, 1996, and met with Mr. Larry PYNN, an employee of this newspaper. He received from Mr. PYNN a white envelope containing:

(i) A press release communiqué from the "Justice Department".

(ii) A second yellow envelope which contained an index card which had a double width razor blade, utility knife type, affixed to it with a brown masking tape. There was an accompanying threatening communiqué, also from the "Justice Department".

(c) He has since received a total of eight (8) similar white envelopes from other media outlets containing the same yellow envelopes and index cards, to which razor blades are affixed along with the accompanying press release communiqués and threatening communiqués.

(d) He has received twenty-three (23) yellow envelopes, each containing an index card to which is affixed a razor blade and accompanying threatening communiqués from the "JUSTICE DEPARTMENT". Four (4) of these came from the HOLT RENFREW retail outlet, which had received the envelopes at their Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton stores. That four (4) of the yellow envelopes were retrieved from the Canada Post Security Section as they were found in the "dead mail" due to the address labels falling off. One was intercepted by Canada Post prior to delivery in Winnipeg. Fourteen (14) were retrieved from various furriers outlets.

(e) He forwarded the communiqués, the index cards with affixed razor blades, and the envelopes to the RCMP Crime Detection Laboratory in Vancouver for testing and comparison to the ones received from the previous razor blade campaign from the "Justice Department" aimed at the guide outfitters throughout British Columbia and Alberta in January of 1996.

65. On March 8, 1996, CST. LABOSSIERE informed me, and I verily believe it to be true, that the threatening communiqués sent to the retail furrier outlets stated that razor blades affixed to the index cards had been dipped in AIDS-infected blood. The RCMP Crime Detection Laboratory in Vancouver determined that there was no evidence of AIDS-infected blood on the razor blades that they examined.

Continue. . .