The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has filed several charges regarding money laundering against five individuals in the Niagara region and in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Charges have been pressed against Zu Wen Chang, Lin Li, Bo Hai Chen, En Quan Chen and Jian Hua Tao after 7,926 lbs of dried cannabis and nearly 29,975 cannabis plants were seized as part of an ongoing investigation that started in 2017.
Total value of the cannabis came to almost CA$1.03m (US$789,135).
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), along with its Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have offered aid to the RCMP in an investigation of a “sophisticated drug trafficking and money laundering scheme.”
To assist the RCMP, the AGCO will review the regulated gaming facilities. The commisson said it will “assess the effectiveness of their controls in meeting their obligations under the Gaming Control Act, its regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming.”
The RCMP began looking into a possible money laundering operation that was running through casinos in the GTA and Niagara areas. Since the investigation began, the RCMP discovered that more than CA$3m has been laundered through the casinos from illegal cannabis sales.
District Command Superintendent and Office in Charge Jeff Cooper commented: “This investigation, conducted with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and FINTRAC, serves as a great example of how a coordinated enforcement effort can contribute to safer communities by disrupting the illegal drug trade and confiscating money laundering proceeds.”
The OPP’s Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) is a part of the AGCO and is made up of both civilian and uniform OPP members from around the province.
OPP, IEB’s Chief Superintendent Alison Jevons said the bureau is happy to help with the investigation and will continue to offer assistance.
She said: “We were pleased to lend our resources and gaming expertise to the RCMP in this matter and will continue to support all stakeholders in our shared goal of effectively detecting and safeguarding against criminal activities in casinos.”
