Canada-U.S. drug raid nets 46 arrests

Canada-U.S. drug raid nets 46 arrests

Kim Bolan

Vancouver Sun
(via National Post)
Thursday, June 29, 2006

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - An unprecedented two-year U.S.-Canada investigation into cross-border smuggling using helicopters and planes has led to 46 arrests in both countries and the seizure of three aircraft, more than 3,600 kilograms of marijuana and another 800 kilograms of cocaine, plus more than $1.5 million US.

Law-enforcement officials from Canada and the U.S. called the probe - Operation Frozen Timber - a major blow to organized crime groups who had developed a sophisticated scheme to move large quantities of B.C. marijuana into the U.S. market via helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

"These organized crime groups are motivated by one thing - greed," said John McKay, the U.S. Attorney for the western district of Washington. "With Operation Frozen Timber, we not only cut into their profits with countless seizures of drugs and money, we demonstrated that there is a high price to pay."

Police allege the key Canadian figure in the smuggling ring was Daryl Desjardins, who has been running a popular upscale restaurant called the Breakwater, on the beachfront at Harrison Lake in B.C.’s Fraser Valley.

Desjardins, 44, was the middleman for several organized crime groups, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, the Mafia, Indo-Canadian and Asian crime groups, said RCMP Insp. Dan Malo, of the integrated border enforcement team.

The controversial businessman, who was found in the U.S. to have pocketed millions in a stock fraud scheme, remains in custody, as does his co-accused, Dustin Melvin Haugen, 24.

Both men were arrested in a Bell JetRanger helicopter seized by police on May 10 after allegedly transporting 150 kilograms of pot across the border. The recipients of the shipment were charged on the U.S. side.

Desjardins and Haugen face charges of importing and exporting marijuana, as well as trafficking marijuana, while Desjardins has also been charged with possession of a gun.

Haugen also remains under police investigation in connection with a March 2005 incident in which he was allegedly behind the controls of another Bell JetRanger when it crashed on lift-off, killing his 22-year-old girlfriend. He allegedly fled the scene, but was later located by police.

The U.S. drug ring leader, Robert Kessling, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the trafficking conspiracy involving 149 kilograms of cocaine and more than 180 kilograms of B.C. pot.

Representatives of the RCMP, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Attorney's Office and several other agencies crowded into a hanger at the airport here to show dramatic surveillance video and photos of several of the seizures.

They stood in front of a U.S. plane and RCMP helicopter used in the operation, which they said is ongoing.

"Make no mistake; these criminal organizations pose a threat to our safe homes and communities. Pilots were flying unsafe aircraft often at dangerously low altitudes," RCMP Chief Supt. Bud Mercer said.

"The violent nature of these organized crime groups and the high-powered weapons they were in possession of posed a direct threat to the citizens of Canada and the United States."

more than 3,600 kilograms of marijuana and another 800 kilograms of cocaine

No matter who you are, this is not gonna pass for personal use. Just sayin' And I am not a big WOsD fan. Perhaps an unintended consequence of border surveillance.

It is time to end our dependence upon other nations to supply the demand for cannabis here in the USA!

4 posted on 06/29/2006 7:13:11 PM PDT by winston2 (In matters of necessity let there be unity, in matters of doubt liberty, and in all things charity:)

Yes, stop supporting hostile, cannabis-supplying nations who are greedy and possibly even have a gun! Americans can supply this need!

5 posted on 06/29/2006 8:41:02 PM PDT by Sender ("Why, by God, I actually pity those poor sons-of-b*tches we're going up against. By God, I do".)

According to a Seattle Times story today:

The marijuana industry in British Columbia alone was estimated at $7 billion by Forbes magazine, making it the most lucrative agricultural product of Canada. The Canadian RCMP estimate there are about 20,000 grow operations in British Columbia.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003095414_border30m.html

Its important to remember that the 3,600 pounds seized was probably only a 10th of what got through. While nobody really cares about BC Bud, the seizures demonstrate the vulnerabilities both countries have along the 49th parallel.

Clearly the smugglers are changing patterns. In the past when you applied pressure the organizations would shift traffic to the east or west. Now they have gone vertical and even sub-terrainian (sp) as evidenced by the tunnel discovered last year in Bellingham.

If I were an AQ type this is exactly the type of low risk conveyance I would be looking at to transport WMD into the US or Canada.

7 posted on 06/30/2006 8:15:39 AM PDT by usurper (Spelling or grammatical errors in this post can be attributed to the LA City School System)

The failed war on some drugs is directly responsible for the drug-based crime families even existing. I don't notice a lot of bootleggers shipping alcohol across the border anymore.

"I don't notice a lot of bootleggers shipping alcohol across the border anymore."

While the overall dollar numbers seem to go up & down based upon several factors & with political correctness limiting both enforcement & reporting of same, fairly extensive, primarily Native-based, smuggling of alcohol, tabacco as well as drugs is on-going across the St. Lawrence River & its environs.

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