Major Drug Bust on U.S.-Canadian Border
V A N C O U V E R, Canada, Jan. 23 -- U.S. and Canadian investigators have smashed a major organized crime groupthat pumped high-potency British Columbia-grownmarijuana into the United States.
The investigators seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds on both sides of the border.
U.S. Customs special agent Rodney Tureaud and Royal Canadian Mounted Policespokesman Cpl. Garry Begg said four people were arrested in British Columbia, and nineothers in the United States.
Sixteen banking institutions were searched and property, including an Aerospatiale Astar 350 helicopter, a home in Surrey, B.C, and two Mercedes Benz automobiles, were also seized.
Also seized under Canadian proceeds of crime laws were $350,000 inU.S. currency, $110,000 in Canadian currency, 3 kilograms of cocaineworth $120,000, 20 pounds of packaged marijuana worth $75,000, two loadedhandguns, several shotguns and rifles and two crossbows
The joint U.S.-Canadian probe focused on the air shipment of premium"B.C.-bud" with the use of the Astar 350 chopper, which made drug runsdropping off marijuana near Mount Baker, a few miles inside Washington State.
"This group was responsible for numerous airdrops of marijuana into westernWashington State and the smuggling of firearms, cocaine and currency intoCanada," said Customs agent Tureaud at a joint press conference held inLangley, B.C., which is in a border district south of Vancouver.
"To date, investigation in the United States has resulted in the arrest ofnine individuals and the seizure of approximately 270 pounds of marijuana,$78,000 in U.S. currency and a helicopter valued at $410, 000 (U.S.)," he said.
Elaborate Probe
As part of the two-year probe of what police described as a "highlyorganized criminal group" Canadian authorities raided 16 banks to check forevidence of money laundering.
"We were looking for proceeds of crime — any evidence of large deposits,"said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Garry Begg.
U.S. Customs agents found the group criss-crossed the Washington-B.C.border on numerous occasions with elaborately concealed marijuana. In oneinstance the customs agents at Blaine, Wash., found a resident of Idahocrossing the border with 10 pounds of marijuana wired to the undercarriageof his car.
