WEDNESDAY
June 26, 1996

BY BRENT MUDRY
Contributing Writer

IVAN Pelegrin thought he
had it all.

He had a new life back in his native
Croatia, a lucrative career, a 10-year-
old son and a supportive girlfriend.

Pelegrin’s new life seemed perfect,
at least until a North Vancouver RCMP
drug cop. on UN peacekeeping duty,
tracked him down last year.

The 40-year-old drug-deuling fugi-
tive, who skipped bail in North
Vancouver in 1993, was on the run
from a $3.5-mitlion heroin bust in
Vancouver's West End.

Pelegrin’s paradise was still safe.
Croatia is an extradition-free zone.

A fateful shopping trip to Germany,
however, proved to be Pelegrin’s
downfall.

The Mounties finally got their man
at the German-Austrian border last
November.

The drug trafficker faced justice on
Monday in B.C. Supreme Court.

For pleading guilty to two drug traf-
ficking charges he received a five-year
prison term.

On the eve of the trial, Pelegrin
made a plea bargsin. He turned police
informant to reduce an expected 10-
year sentence,

Federal drug prosecutor Valeric
Hartley told Mr. Justice David
Campbell that the North Vancouver
drug squad raided Pelegrin’s Barclay
Street apartment in August 1992,

See ROMP page 3

ndex

@ Bright Lighzs..........00.10

Crossword... 49
a Y 4

Fashion

BD FOO. eescecsecsssseee
B Parks & Picnics..............45
@ Sports...

TV Listings...

Sroapronk
ie oer

NEWS photo Mike Wskelield

| Testing the waters

ENVIRONMENT Minister Pau! Ramsey watches Cove Cliff students tes? water at
Parkside Creek Monday. Ramsey announced $687,000 worth of 8,C. salmon habi-
tat projects, including $12,500 for the Deep Cove school's efforts. Story cn page 4.

Hammer attack alleged

BY MICHAEL BECKER

News Editor

A 64-year-old West
Vancouver man
allegedly pounded his
wife with a hammer
before trying to set her
on fire in March.
Manoncher Khan Jiany-
Yaghooby was arrested by West
Vancouver Police on June 21
wher he was released from
Vancouver General Hospital.
Siany-Yaghooby is) charged

with attempted murder, arson
with a disregard for human lle:
arson damage to property and
arson dainage ta his awn proper:
ty.

Fire tore threagh Bijan
Spechtty Foods and a town.
house above the store at Last
Clyde Ave, on the rorning of
March 20.

The store and townhouse are
owned by Jiany: Yaghooby ind
his S2-vear-old wite “Fahereh
Jiany- Yaghsoby.

Vabereh, who sutfered theca
injuries, cuts and bruises, alerted
a neighbor to the fire.

The neighbor tound

Manoucher on fire a7 fis homie,
Jian: Yaghooby was rescued by
the neighbor, who threw ao rug
over hin,

Vhe couple's 33-year-old
daughter Maniyeh was) found
unconscious due te smoke
inkaletion in an upstairs bath
room, She remains ia a vegeta
tive state im Lions Gate Hospital.

Manouchee sustained exten:
Sive burns to his body andl fave
as a result of the blaze.

He appeared in West
Vancouver provinckil court on
Monday and was remanded: in
crstody fora show cause hear
ing July 3.

Weather
Thursday: Cloudy, sunny periods
High 20°C, low 12°C.

‘

NVD council backs

blanket smoke ban
BY MARTIN MILLERCHIP
Contributing Writer

IF you want to smcke in
North Vancouver District do it
at home, in your car or out-
doors.

Everywhere else, including pubs and
restaurants, will be smoke-free as a result
of the smoking regulation bylaw district
council took to third reading Monday.

The district unanimously agreed to
buck the Lower Mainland trend of a
phased-in approach to a smoking ban and
to endorse an immediate and complete
ban on “burning tobacco or any other
weed or substance.”

“Lbelieve we have established the way
the non-smokers bylaw should be intro-
duced,” said Mayor Murray Dykeman.

A three-year phase-in of the smoking
ban has been proposed in other Lower
Mainland municipalities.

Under that proposed phase-in, restate
rant owners would face a smoking bun
while lounges and neighborhood pubs
that serve food could allow smoking until
Dee. 31. 1999.

s (district) approach is not dis-
criminatory, The same cules and the same
laws apply to everyone,” said Coun, Ernie
Crist.

He congratulated West) Vancouver
istrict for taking the same approach.

“Fourfilths of the North Shore. is
striking a blow for health.” said Crist.

However, Crists congratulations may
be premature,

West Vancouver municipal clerk
Margaret Warwick tald the News that no
bylaw has yet been presented to council,

She said the one she had expected to
prepare for July § would have been based
ont “compromise position” suggested at
a omecting between Dykeman, North
Vancouver City mayor Jack Loucks and
West Vancouver councilor Pat Boname.

That compromise position was) pre-
sented too North Vancouver District
Monday but it was ignored in favor of an
outright ban on smoking,

The comprontise position suggested:
®@ smoking in restaurants be probrbited
except for a patio area and a smoking
room:

@ pubs, lounges. cabarets casinos and
binge hails designate 30% of their Moor
area as non-smoking and be 1004. nen.
smoking hy the year 2000.

orth Vasicouver District will adopt its
byfiw once the penalty section, whick
contemplates: fines of up te $2,000. has
been reviewed,

North Vancouver City filed Monday
night to agree on a smoking ban in the
cy