B. C. man to face drug charges in U. S.

A B. C. man, whom American authorities allege is the kingpin of a cross- border drug- smuggling ring has been ordered extradited to the United States to face conspiracy charges. A B. C. Supreme Court judge in Kamloops committed Colin Martin for extradition to Seattle, where prosecutors have charged him with conspiracy to traffic in marijuana, cocaine and MDMA, also known as ecstasy. U. S. prosecutors allege Martin was involved in large- scale drug- trafficking that saw marijuana and ecstasy shipped by helicopter to remote locations in northern Idaho and Washington state in exchange for cocaine, money and firearms. The court heard Martin hired people in B. C. to load up to $ 5 million worth of drugs on helicopters, then paid pilots to fly the choppers into the U. S.