Pacific fleet faced drug testing following cocaine investigation

Hundreds of Canadian Navy personnel with the Pacific fleet have been required to take a surprise, mandatory drug test following an investigation into the use of cocaine on one of the fleet's ships. 

A spokesman at CFB Esquimalt said the massive "blind test" was conducted in December as a new component of the Canadian Forces drug enforcement policy.

News of the test came Wednesday at the cocaine-related court martial of a former petty officer, caught in a "sting" operation aimed at crew aboard HMCS Saskatoon, based in Esquimalt.

Robert Carlson was originally charged with cocaine trafficking under the National Defence Act after an undercover investigation aboard the HMCS Saskatoon.

However, the charge was dropped and replaced with a new charge of conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline. Carlson pleaded guilty to that count.

Last August, a second former crew member had his trafficking charge dropped in return for a plea of guilty of bad conduct, while a third crew member pleaded guilty to trafficking and a fourth to selling a small amount of cocaine.

In August, the military court also heard testimony that 10 to 12 members of the 31-member crew on HMCS Saskatoon used cocaine regularly in January 2006.

HMCS Saskatoon is a Kingston-class maritime coastal defence vessel, launched in 1998 and crewed almost entirely by members of the Naval Reserve.

The vessel has multiple roles, including minesweeping, training and coastal patrol.