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
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
'I killed four people': Trial hears video evidence of Jeremy Skibicki at Winnipeg trial
“I killed four people,” alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki told two homicide detectives during a recorded interview played as evidence in his trial Wednesday.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.