POT BUST A BIG ONE

Police have cracked another international million-dollar marijuana
smuggling ring based in Vancouver-the second in two years.

Eight Vancouver residents with ties to Vietnamese gangs are facing several
drug charges in connection with the ring that involved the use of
tractor-trailers.

The arrests occurred last Wednesday, concluding a three month investigation
by Vancouver police, RCMP and Customs agents from both sides of the border.

It follows a similar bust two years ago, where police seized more than $1
million and found evidence in an East Side house that marijuana was being
smuggled across the border.

Police haven't found a connection between the two rings.

In the recent case, investigators executed three search warrants Aug. 11 on
houses in the 2900-block East 42nd Avenue, 2900-block East 43rd Avenue and
the 6700-block of Raleigh Street.

Police seized $900,000 in cash, five vehicles worth an estimated $250,000
dollars, about 250 pounds of packaged marijuana with an estimated street
value of $625,000, and a loaded .32-calibre handgun.

Two of the houses had secret compartments and hidden rooms that appear to
have been built for the sole purpose of hiding marijuana and money, said
Const. Sarah Bloor, a media liaison officer for the Vancouver police.

"It's a huge bust-definitely," said Bloor. "It's going to make a dent in
somebody's wallet, for sure...to have removed this from the hands of
organized crime is one accomplishment, but also to remove it from our
community is a huge accomplishment from a safety perspective."

As part of the investigation, police also seized a tractor-trailer last
month in the Lower Mainland that contained about 1,000 pounds of marijuana
worth an estimated street value of $4.5 million.

Three women and five men, aged 28 to 54, are charged with possession for
the purpose of trafficking marijuana and possession of proceeds of crime.
They are all known associates of Vietnamese gang members, and are heavily
involved in organized crime, Bloor said.

Charged are Gai Thi Bui, Thi Thuy Dung Phan, Binh Thanh Ngo, Long Bao Ngo,
Chi Hieu Mai, Ngoc Linh Nguyen, Thi Lien Tran and Quy Tran.

Police launched the project in May, when investigators received information
on a tractor-trailer transporting large quantities of marijuana from the
Lower Mainland to the United States.

Police believe the trailers were loaded in the Lower Mainland, transported
to Eastern Canada and then moved into the U.S. and bound for Dallas.

The investigation continues and further arrests and charges are possible.
In the October 2002 bust, police seized more than $1 million stashed in
vehicles and under mattresses at a house in the 3600-block Vimy Crescent.

Five people from Vancouver and Burnaby, aged 22 to 50, were charged with
possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property
obtained by crime.

Police alleged the large house, estimated to be worth about $600,000, was
being used as a "transfer house," where marijuana growers were selling
garbage bags full of bud to a distributor.

During the investigation, police stopped two vehicles as they were leaving
the house and seized $310,000 US from one and $100,000 US from another. The
money was vacuum-sealed and wrapped in duct tape, and the bundles were
connected by string.

Inside the house, police found just under $200,000 US and $100,000 Cdn
scattered in different rooms, some of it in bags, a safe and under mattresses.

Police seized documents related to the suspects' marijuana business and at
least one bill of sale indicating one of the suspects paid $50,000 cash for
an Infiniti SUV. The amount of American money and information in the
documents led police to believe the marijuana's destination was south of
the border.