Close X
Monday, October 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

Five Canadians facing extradition to the U.S. for involvement in drug-smuggling ring

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 30 Jan, 2024 04:03 PM
  • Five Canadians facing extradition to the U.S. for involvement in drug-smuggling ring

Authorities have dismantled a drug-smuggling operation they say involved large quantities of narcotics coming into Los Angeles from Mexico before being distributed in the U.S. and brought into Canada by long-haul truckers.

The cross-border operation dubbed "Operation Dead Hand" saw 19 people charged in two U.S. federal indictments for their alleged roles in the organized crime syndicate, including Roberto Scoppa, a Montrealer alleged by authorities to be a large-scale Canadian trafficker and Italian Mafia figure.

"This conspiracy spanned three countries and involved drug suppliers connected to cartels in Mexico, drug distributors and brokers in Los Angeles, Canadian truck drivers and a network that exported drugs into Canada, and even an associate of the Italian Mafia in Montreal," U.S. attorney Martin Estrada told a news conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

A total of 10 people were arrested, including five from Quebec, Ontario and Alberta. Arrest and search warrants were executed in Montreal, Toronto and Calgary as well as in Texas, Florida and California.

The RCMP said in a news release the Canadians arrested will face extradition to the United States to stand trial.

According to U.S. authorities, Scoppa, 55, is alleged to have bought massive quantities of cocaine and other drugs on a wholesale basis. In addition to Scoppa, the Mounties arrested Ivan Gravel Gonzalez, 32, of Trois-Rivières, Que., Ayush Sharma, 25, and Guramrit Sidhu, 60, of Brampton, Ont., and Subham Kumar, 29, of Calgary.

Estrada said one of the indictments says Sidhu allegedly purchased kilograms of methamphetamine from suppliers in Mexico and Los Angeles. 

"He then operated a network of truck drivers. They would use long-haul semi-trucks to move those drugs up through the United States and into Canada," Estrada said.

Gonzalez, who is listed as a resident of Montreal and the Dominican Republic in documents, is alleged to be part of Sidhu’s exportation team. Sidhu, also known as “King,” is charged with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and is described as having held "a position of organizer, supervisor and manager."

The group allegedly used Canadian "handlers" and "dispatchers" who would travel to Los Angeles for short periods of time. The "handlers" would co-ordinate the pickup and delivery of the shipments of cocaine and methamphetamine using Canada-bound trucks. 

The transportation was co-ordinated by a network of drivers working with dozens of trucking companies who made numerous border crossings from the United States to Canada via the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, the Buffalo Peace Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge, authorities said.

Sharma and Kumar are truck drivers.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

The indictments allege the network trafficked approximately 845 kilograms of methamphetamine, 951 kilograms of cocaine, 20 kilograms of fentanyl and four kilograms of heroin, with a wholesale value of between US$16 million and US$28 million — a number that goes up exponentially in Canada.

Estrada said a kilogram of methamphetamine in Canada could sell for up to 20 times more than what it would fetch in Los Angeles.

"With this takedown, we've eliminated a major funnel of drugs into our country and also into Canada," Estrada said.

The arrests underscore the need for co-operation among law enforcement to combat an international problem. "It also shows that at the upper echelons and drug trafficking organizations, the people pulling the strings are sophisticated organized criminals," Estrada added.

The RCMP said in a statement the Canadian seizures included $940,000 in cash, 70 kilograms of cocaine and four kilograms of heroin.

"As the world becomes more interconnected, organized crime groups continue to evolve and expand internationally, seeking more direct access to lucrative markets," RCMP Chief Supt. Mathieu Bertrand told reporters in Los Angeles. 

"However, by continuing to work together on numerous cross-border initiatives, the RCMP and U.S. law enforcement agencies can make a difference."

MORE National ARTICLES

Federal government pledges $5M to Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver

Federal government pledges $5M to Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver
The museum will feature an exhibition titled "The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act," with the July 1 opening date coinciding with the centennial of the passing of the act which effectively halted all immigration from China.

Federal government pledges $5M to Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver

Feds tweak verified traveller program

Feds tweak verified traveller program
Eligible passengers, including Nexus members, won't have to take their shoes off and can keep their laptops and liquids in their bags instead of putting them onto the X-ray conveyor belt.   

Feds tweak verified traveller program

Majority of homeowners in BC are investors

Majority of homeowners in BC are investors
New numbers released by Statistics Canada show investor-occupants made up almost 10 per cent of British Columbia homeowners in 2020. The agency attributes the high numbers in B-C to incremental forms of density, such as single-detached houses with secondary suites or laneway units, duplexes, or triplexes.

Majority of homeowners in BC are investors

Province invests in seniors

Province invests in seniors
The province is offering 500-thousand dollars in grants for programs or plans aimed at helping seniors lead independent, active lives. Applications open June 1st for the age-friendly grants, which can be as much as 25-thousand dollars each.

Province invests in seniors

Armed break and enter in Victoria

Armed break and enter in Victoria
Police in Victoria say two people have been arrested after reports of an armed break and enter at a residential building in the city. Two people were arrested and taken into custody three hours later, just before 11 A-M.

Armed break and enter in Victoria

Premier David Eby makes a statement on 109th anniversary of the Komagata Maru

Premier David Eby makes a statement on 109th anniversary of the Komagata Maru
“When they should have been welcomed, they were instead met by hostility and prejudice. Canadian immigration officials refused to let them leave the boat. The passengers were confined to the ship for two months, during which supplies of food and even water were restricted, making conditions intolerable". 

Premier David Eby makes a statement on 109th anniversary of the Komagata Maru