T
The420Guy
Guest
Customs Is Mystified About The Reasons Low-grade Pot Would Find Its Way To
The Home Of B.C. Bud
Canada Customs announced Wednesday it seized more than 1,700 kilograms of
low-grade South American marijuana from a Vancouver-bound container ship in
January, sparking speculation as to why so much cannabis would be smuggled
to the home of B.C. bud.
Customs officers found the marijuana at the Vancouver port aboard a cargo
vessel that originated in Peru. A total of 864 two-kilogram bricks of
marijuana were hidden inside one shipping container of ground alfalfa from
Ecuador.
One month after it was discovered, police arrested 10 men in a sting
operation at a Fraser Valley farm.
"We don't know why they were bringing it here. Maybe they were going to cut
it with other product," RCMP Corporal Grant Learned said Wednesday at a
press conference.
The cannabis has only one-third the potency of B.C. hydroponic marijuana,
Learned said.
"Our intelligence tells us that sometimes lower grade marijuana is mixed
with higher grade and marketed as high grade," he said. "The crooks are
ripping off the crooks because they are selling other stuff at the price of
B.C. Bud."
The drugs were probably destined for the United States or Eastern Canada
because it would be difficult to sell grade C marihuana to B.C. users,
Learned added.
Four men -- three from the Greater Vancouver area -- have been charged with
possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking: Timothy Andrew
Murray, 52, of Surrey, Quoc Ai Mai, 27, of Richmond, Clayton Murray
Mitchell, 30, of Surrey and Robert James Shannon, 31, of no fixed address.
Shannon is also charged with two counts of possession of a loaded
restricted firearm without a permit.
Police allege the smuggling operation is part of an organized crime ring
and that one of the men charged is associated with an outlaw biker gang.
Customs officials targeted the vessel's container as "high risk," and
subsequently examined the 250 sacks of ground alfalfa with ex-ray machines.
The ship, Lykes Osprey, stopped in Mexico, San Francisco and Seattle before
stopping in Vancouver.
After customs officials found the drugs, they turned them over to police
investigators from the Waterfront Organized Crime Unit, which is comprised
of law enforcement officers from Canada Customs, the Vancouver police
department, the Delta police department, the Organized Crime Agency of
B.C., and the RCMP.
The containers were subsequently re-packed and re-sealed and placed under
surveillance. On Feb. 19, investigators watched as the containers were
taken to a farm on Deroche Landing Road in the Hatzic area of the Fraser
Valley. The next morning, six men were arrested on the road as they drove
away from the farm. One man was arrested on the side of the road near the
farm and another man was arrested on the farm. Two men were also arrested
in a Surrey restaurant.
The drugs had been transferred to a rented cube van. Two loaded handguns
and radio equipment were also seized.
Six of the men originally arrested were released. The owner of the farm was
not charged.
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Pubdate: Thu, 08 Mar 2001
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: sunletters@pacpress.southam.ca
Address: 200 Granville Street, Ste.#1, Vancouver BC V6C 3N3
Fax: (604) 605-2323
Website: Vancouver Sun
Author: Patricia Bailey
The Home Of B.C. Bud
Canada Customs announced Wednesday it seized more than 1,700 kilograms of
low-grade South American marijuana from a Vancouver-bound container ship in
January, sparking speculation as to why so much cannabis would be smuggled
to the home of B.C. bud.
Customs officers found the marijuana at the Vancouver port aboard a cargo
vessel that originated in Peru. A total of 864 two-kilogram bricks of
marijuana were hidden inside one shipping container of ground alfalfa from
Ecuador.
One month after it was discovered, police arrested 10 men in a sting
operation at a Fraser Valley farm.
"We don't know why they were bringing it here. Maybe they were going to cut
it with other product," RCMP Corporal Grant Learned said Wednesday at a
press conference.
The cannabis has only one-third the potency of B.C. hydroponic marijuana,
Learned said.
"Our intelligence tells us that sometimes lower grade marijuana is mixed
with higher grade and marketed as high grade," he said. "The crooks are
ripping off the crooks because they are selling other stuff at the price of
B.C. Bud."
The drugs were probably destined for the United States or Eastern Canada
because it would be difficult to sell grade C marihuana to B.C. users,
Learned added.
Four men -- three from the Greater Vancouver area -- have been charged with
possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking: Timothy Andrew
Murray, 52, of Surrey, Quoc Ai Mai, 27, of Richmond, Clayton Murray
Mitchell, 30, of Surrey and Robert James Shannon, 31, of no fixed address.
Shannon is also charged with two counts of possession of a loaded
restricted firearm without a permit.
Police allege the smuggling operation is part of an organized crime ring
and that one of the men charged is associated with an outlaw biker gang.
Customs officials targeted the vessel's container as "high risk," and
subsequently examined the 250 sacks of ground alfalfa with ex-ray machines.
The ship, Lykes Osprey, stopped in Mexico, San Francisco and Seattle before
stopping in Vancouver.
After customs officials found the drugs, they turned them over to police
investigators from the Waterfront Organized Crime Unit, which is comprised
of law enforcement officers from Canada Customs, the Vancouver police
department, the Delta police department, the Organized Crime Agency of
B.C., and the RCMP.
The containers were subsequently re-packed and re-sealed and placed under
surveillance. On Feb. 19, investigators watched as the containers were
taken to a farm on Deroche Landing Road in the Hatzic area of the Fraser
Valley. The next morning, six men were arrested on the road as they drove
away from the farm. One man was arrested on the side of the road near the
farm and another man was arrested on the farm. Two men were also arrested
in a Surrey restaurant.
The drugs had been transferred to a rented cube van. Two loaded handguns
and radio equipment were also seized.
Six of the men originally arrested were released. The owner of the farm was
not charged.
Newshawk: creator@mapinc.org
Pubdate: Thu, 08 Mar 2001
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: sunletters@pacpress.southam.ca
Address: 200 Granville Street, Ste.#1, Vancouver BC V6C 3N3
Fax: (604) 605-2323
Website: Vancouver Sun
Author: Patricia Bailey
