Money-laundering case now in hands of Crown
Eby calls inability to prosecute major drug and gambling offences a crisis
A major illegal gambling and money-laundering investigation by B.C.’s anti-gang task force that resulted in nine arrests 18 months ago is now in the hands of Crown counsel.
The Crown lawyers will determine whether to lay charges after police say they uncovered a network believed to be connected to illegal gambling houses and money laundering.
The investigation, led by a group within the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C., also alleged the Lower Mainland-based organized crime group had operations that extended to China and other countries.
Dan McLaughlin, the B.C. Prosecution Service’s communications counsel, said the first investigation file materials were received by the Crown for assessment on Sept. 27, 2018.
“That process is currently underway. We do not have a time line for the completion of the assessment,” said McLaughlin.
The arrests were announced at a news conference in June 2017.
RCMP Sgt. Brenda Winpenny, a spokeswoman for the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, said this week there have been no further arrests and the investigation is complete.
There was a huge volume of materials turned over to Crown because of the complex nature of the investigation, said Winpenny.
The investigation was led by the CFSEU’s joint illegal gambling investigation team, which includes police and investigators from the B.C. government’s gambling policy and enforcement branch.
At the height of the investigation, about 200 people were working on the case.
Officials with B.C.’s Attorney General and Solicitor General offices refused this week to comment on the case.
In May 2016, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit started a probe into criminal organization allegedly operating illegal gambling houses, loan sharking, carrying out money laundering for drug traffickers, kidnappings, extortions and other violent acts.
“During the investigation, it was apparent there were multiple roles filled by different people (who) enabled or facilitated the organization in laundering large amounts of money through casinos,” CFSEU assistant commissioner Kevin Hackett said in 2017 at the announcement of the arrests.
Hackett pegged the amount of money laundered into the “millions.” He would not name any of the casinos, but said they are all in the Lower Mainland.
A search of six homes led to the seizure of cash, drug paraphernalia, cellphones, computers, and a number of luxury vehicles, including one that had a sophisticated hidden compartment. Some of the items seized — stacks of bills in clear plastic bags, scales and bill-counters — were on display at the news conference.
Last year, a separate RCMP nvestigation dubbed E-Pirate resulted in criminal charges being laid against an illegal money services business, Silver International, and a Richmond couple. But the charges were stayed in November without explanation.
B.C.’s civil forfeiture office is now seeking to seize a $2.3-million Richmond house, $2 million in cash, River Rock Casino chips and gift cards as the proceeds of crime based on the E-Pirate investigation, alleging money was laundered for customers that included drug traffickers importing cocaine from Mexico. The forfeiture suit alleges that as much as $220 million was laundered in a year.
B.C. Attorney General David Eby has said he was incredibly disappointed the criminal charges were stayed in the Silver International base and that the inability to prosecute these cases is a crisis.