Authorities in New Hampshire say they have broken up a drug-smuggling operation that saw marijuana and ecstasy funnelled from Canada into the U.S. Photo: Handout/U.S. Attorney's Office, New Hampshire American authorities say they have broken up a multi-million-dollar drug-smuggling pipeline that funneled marijuana and ecstasy from Canada into the U.S. and cocaine back into this country.
The northeast state of New Hampshire served as the distribution hub, but a criminal complaint filed in U.S. district court in that state alleges that Canadians were at the helm of the operation.
The investigation’s origins go back to March 2008 when Oklahoma State Police stopped a Toyota pickup truck and found $2 million in cash in vacuum-sealed bags hidden in the door panels and back wall, according to the affidavit by New Hampshire State Police Trooper James Norris.
The driver told authorities that the money came from the sale of illicit drugs and that he was transporting the money from New Hampshire to California. He said he received his instructions from “Buddy” and “Goofy,” who authorities later identified as a Jeffrey Colgrove and a Steven Sarti, both Canadians, the affidavit states.
An investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration subsequently uncovered an elaborate smuggling operation that saw large quantities of marijuana being sent across the border in black hockey bags. Various methods were used to deliver the marijuana across the border, but they included couriers who travelled by foot, according to the affidavit.
Once in the U.S., the marijuana was stored in stash houses across New Hampshire, upstate New York and Vermont, before being distributed. Some of the proceeds from the distribution of that marijuana went back to Canada, while some of it went to California.
“The currency transported to California was done in order for the (organization) to obtain multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, which would then be transported back to New Hampshire and thereafter smuggled into Canada,” the affidavit reads.
A confidential source told authorities the ring was able to ship between 4,000 and 7,000 pounds of marijuana, generating $3 million to $5 million, in a given year.
The U.S. attorney’s office in New Hampshire said Monday that 10 people from that state were charged last week following the year-long investigation that involved wiretaps, surveillance and undercover drug purchases. Authorities seized 30 pounds of marijuana, $85,000 in cash, money-counting machines and other drug-related paraphernalia, and firearms, including a machine gun and numerous handguns.
Asked about the status of the Canadians identified in the court documents, a spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing and she could not say more.
The surveillance operation showed that alleged members of the ring frequently changed cell phones. In fact, one of the accused was found to have 12 cell phones in his home, according to the affidavit.
Transcripts from recorded conversations also revealed the pressure members were under to pay off debts to their suppliers and to ensure the quality of marijuana.
U.S. and Canadian authorities have been working in recent years to build a more integrated border-enforcement system and improve information sharing to curb the flow of illicit drugs.
Patterns in the movement of drugs have not changed much over the years, according to the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy. Marijuana and ecstasy is produced in Canada and gets smuggled into the U.S. The U.S., meanwhile, serves as the primary transit country for cocaine from South America into Canada.
Organized crime groups use a variety of methods to smuggle drugs across the border, including personal vehicles, commercial trucks, buses, planes, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles. Individuals are also recruited to carry drugs across the border.
The main smuggling corridors are the parts of the U.S.-Canada border near Blaine, Wash., Detroit, Mich., and Buffalo, N.Y. The St. Regis Mohawk Reservation is also attractive because it straddles the border.
Dquan(at)Postmedia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment