(The Ontario Provincial Police issued the following news release on April 9.)
TORONTO — On Monday, April 7, 2003 search warrants were executed in the Toronto area, which yielded the largest-ever combined marijuana and money seizure for the Ontario Provincial Police Drug Enforcement Section.
In late January 2003, the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia (OCA-BC), the Ontario Provincial Police, Drug Enforcement Section – Toronto Unit, Canadian Pacific Railway Police and the Canadian National Railway Police entered into a joint investigation involving the trafficking of large amount of marijuana, believed to be destined for the United States.
OCA-BC identified a group of individuals involved in the collection and packaging of domestically grown marijuana operating out of a warehouse in Richmond, British Columbia. The finished product was then shipped to another warehouse located at Unit No. 28 – 401 Magnetic Drive, Toronto via intermodal railway containers.
OPP Drug Enforcement officers investigated the involved subjects in the Toronto area and 4 individuals were arrested on Monday, April 7, 2003. They are:
1. Hieu Huu TRAN, 37, of Toronto
2. The Hung PHAM, 30, of Toronto
Charges:
– Conspiracy to Traffic Cannabis, Sec 465(1c) CC
– Trafficking Cannabis, Sec 5(1) CDSA
– Possession of Cannabis for the Purposes of Trafficking, Sec 5 (2) CDSA
Also arrested were:
3. Hang Thi VU, 24, of Toronto
4. Dung PHAM, 45, of Toronto
Charges:
– Possession of Cannabis for the Purposes of Trafficking, Sec 5 (2) CDSA
– Possession of Cannabis, Sec 4(1) CDSA
(*) Note: all persons were held for bail hearings and are scheduled to appear at Old City Hall Court in Toronto on Wednesday, April 9, 2003, courtroom No. 103.
Drugs/Items Seized:
– 850 lbs of processed (packaged) high grade marijuana (valued at 2.5 million dollars)
– a commercially produced pill tablet press and associated equipment
Currency Seized:
– $694,500.00 CDN
– $245,000.00 USD