POLICE FOLLOW DRUG MONEY TRAIL

International Ring Laundered Millions Of Dollars

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. The same was true at nearby Canada Financial Services.

Those 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 grow-ops in the Ottawa area.

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

"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 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 low-profile, small
businesses including a clothes manufacturing plant.

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

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

Police said the sophisticated smuggling and trafficking operation reached
16 U.S. cities as far as Los Angeles and New York.