Police arrest 3 B.C. residents, alleged associate linked to Japanese Yakuza
Police in British Columbia's Lower Mainland say an investigation into an international drug trafficking network has led to charges against three residents and an alleged associate in Japan, who is linked to the Yakuza crime syndicate.
A statement from the RCMP's federal serious and organized crime team says the investigation began in August 2019, when the Canada Border Services Agency intercepted a 12-kilogram shipment of methamphetamine destined for Japan.
The Mounties say investigators identified the main Canada-based suspects as three residents of Richmond, B.C., south of Vancouver, and confirmed their alleged associate in Japan had ties to the Yakuza transnational organized crime syndicate.
They say the B.C.-based group then shipped an additional seven-kilogram load of methamphetamine to a second alleged associate in Tokyo.
The RCMP say officers executed a search warrant in June 2020 at a home in Richmond, where they seized a variety of drugs, including heroin and fentanyl, along with $100,000 in U.S. and Canadian cash, a prohibited firearm and two Tasers.
They say the Yakuza-linked Japanese suspect was arrested by police in that country and charged with drug importation offences, while the second alleged associate was arrested after attempting to flee through Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
The three Richmond residents have been charged with multiple counts of drug-related offences, in addition to numerous firearm offences, the RCMP say.
Photos included in the RCMP's news release show the B.C.-based group allegedly used large protein powder containers to ship the methamphetamine to Japan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Closing arguments heard in trial for Sask. dad accused of abducting daughter
Closing arguments were heard Thursday morning in the case of Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter in 2021 to keep her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.