DRUGS AIRLIFTED IN BRAZEN SCHEME

Two B.C. Men Face Trafficking Charges After 'Brokers' Transport Drugs

A massive airborne drug-trafficking scheme is being described as one
of the most brazen criminal schemes ever run along the Canada-U.S.
border.

RCMP Cpl. Norm Massie of the Integrated Border Enforcement Team says
two B.C. men allegedly acted as freelance "brokers," hiring themselves
out to airlift high-grade marijuana across the U.S. border and fly
cocaine back.

Daryl Gilles Desjardins, 45, and Dustin Haugen, 24, were arrested in
May as part of a multi-agency, two-year Canada-U.S. probe dubbed
"Operation Frozen Timber."

"They were definitely serving more than one [criminal] organization,"
said RCMP Cpl. Norm Massie. "We're continuing to work at it, and if
they [the unidentified organizations] are still involved, they will be
identified."

Since Frozen Timber began in November 2004, U.S. authorities have
issued 45 indictments and arrested more than 40 people. RCMP have
collared six Canadians, four of whom have yet to be charged and can
not be named.

"It's possible more charges will be laid, [but] I think we have the
main players involved," Massie said.

Police in both countries netted 3,640 kilograms of marijuana,

365 kg of cocaine, three aircraft and $1.5 million US in cash.

"I would rate this as significant, and perhaps the largest
[trafficking operation] in this northwest region," said U.S. Customs
and Border Patrol assistant commissioner Michael Kostelnik.

It's alleged the pilots flew helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft
packed with marijuana on multiple sorties south, unloading, lowering
by sling or simply dropping their loads in remote areas.

Desjardins and Haugen were arrested in May when U.S. Customs and
Border Patrol surveillance planes tracked a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter
to a landing site in a Washington state wildlife area.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents watched the helicopter crew
unload its cargo into a truck, arrested the drivers and seized 150 kg
of marijuana. Desjardins and Haugen, allegedly the helicopter pilots,
were arrested when they touched down in B.C.

The two men remain in custody facing charges of exporting a controlled
substance, trafficking and firearms possession.

The call letters on the side of the Bell match those of a helicopter
of the same make owned by Desjardins and Charles Stilson Robison of
Chillwack. Security agreement documents show the two men also co-own a
high-end 1999 Scarab motorboat. Robison could not be reached
yesterday. Desjardin's wife did not return Province calls.

The chopper is registered with Transport Canada to the Harrison Lake
Marina Corp. in Harrison Hot Springs, where Desjardins leased the
Breakwater Restaurant .

Desjardins is well-known to police for his role in a fraudulent stock
scam in the late '90s.

As president of former telecommunications firm Pay Pop Inc. (which
owned Delecom Communications), Desjardins was ordered in 2005 by the
U.S. District Court to pay $5 million for issuing illegal shares and
making millions of dollars in the process.

Haugen is the same pilot involved in a helicopter crash in March of
2005 that claimed the life of his live-in girlfriend, Christina
Alexander, 22. At the time, Haugen claimed the pilot was a mystery man
who fled the scene. Crown is reviewing the file to determine if
charges are warranted.