RCMP FIND $500,000 CASH DURING CAR SEARCH

Police Believe Money Belonged To Crime Group And Are Holding Driver

KAMLOOPS - The RCMP said Tuesday it found a duffle bag full of cash -- half
a million dollars of it -- during a routine traffic stop near Clearwater.

Police believe the money belonged to an organized crime organization
involved in drugs or weapons, said Insp. Randy Kolibaba, the RCMP officer
in charge of regional traffic services.

Kolibaba said the effects of organized crime ultimately show up in
communities like Kamloops and Kelowna in the form of property crime and
prostitution.

The half million dollars is an "unusually large" amount, but is dwarfed by
the total amount of crime-related cash seized so far from vehicles on
regional roads -- $8 million.

"When you look at that total, that's staggering," Kolibaba said. "The scary
thing is that all that money is going into our communities."

The money and drugs are transported by lower-tier members of criminal
organizations called mules, he said. They drive from town to town selling
drugs or collecting money made through the drug trade.

Kolibaba said this is likely what a 22-year-old man was doing when police
arrested him near Clearwater on Monday.

Police were on the lookout for an impaired driver when they pulled him
over. The officer smelled marijuana in the vehicle, arrested the driver and
searched the car. The duffle bag was inside.

The driver was being held in Kamloops pending a court appearance. No
charges had been laid as of Tuesday afternoon.

"Those will come after we finish pursuing our investigation, which is still
ongoing," Kolibaba said.

Kamloops RCMP Const. Dave Kelly said most mules carry smaller amounts,
usually between $5,000 and $40,000. Several kilograms of drugs have also
been seized.

But the major players usually escape capture. Kelly said it's the mule who
typically does the time.

Kolibaba said a vehicle containing $700,000 was intercepted in March.