MASSIVE DRUG RAID OPENS FURTHER INVESTIGATION

Access To Houses, Paperwork Has Police Optimistic

OTTAWA - One day after police delivered a knockout punch to an Ottawa-based
international drug network, the financial institutions that allegedly
laundered dirty money have been shut down pending further investigation.

The Ottawa offices of MDN Currency Exchange Services remained locked
Thursday. So did the nearby offices of Canada Financial Services.

The institutions will likely remain closed for the foreseeable future
following the arrests of 170 people across North America, including 50 in
Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.

"To this point, all our investigation has all been covert," said RCMP Staff
Sgt. Marc Pinault, whose drug unit discovered a complex network was behind
the numerous marijuana growing operations in the Ottawa area.

"There's been the gathering of the intelligence, the investigation, the
surveillance, then the execution of the warrants, et cetera," Pinault said.

"But after Wednesday, well, now we're into their houses, into their records
and into their paperwork. And everybody keeps some kind of records.

"Now we have to assess what we have. A lot of what we gather may lead to us
gaining further intelligence. On the other hand, we may find information
which could lead us to lay further charges or make further arrests. We just
don't know at this point. It's so early."

The joint forces operation, which involved city, provincial and federal
police agencies in both Canada and the U.S., was an extensive two-year
investigation that culminated with the arrests of alleged kingpins May Le,
39, of Ottawa, and Ze Wai Wong, 49, of Toronto.

Police believe Le is the mastermind behind Ottawa marijuana grow-ops and
money laundering, operating behind a shield of small businesses, including
a clothes manufacturing plant.

Wong was allegedly a virtual chief executive officer of a network moving
the dangerous drug ecstasy. Investigators believe he relied on Le to
launder the profits.

Police allege the ring laundered $5 million US a month. Police seized
ecstasy, and $8 million worth of marijuana.

Authorities said the sophisticated smuggling and trafficking operation had
tentacles in 16 U.S. cities as far flung as Los Angeles, New York, Baton
Rouge and Des Moines, Iowa.

Couriers used at least four Canada-U.S. border crossings to smuggle the
drugs into the U.S. They used hidden "traps" on vehicles to hide both
ecstasy and cash when they crossed to and from the United States.
Authorities seized $750,000 US from the fuel tank of one Canadian-bound
vehicle in Vermont.

Police also arrested at least eight members of Le's immediate family during
the series of raids, and continued to make arrests Thursday while a number
of targets remained at large.

Pinault said it's possible a forensic audit of the money trail could be
ordered.

Le is scheduled to make her second appearance in court next week; most of
those arrested have been released on bail and conditions.