RCMP seize chopper used to traffic drugs

RCMP border officials have seized a helicopter they say was used to traffic drugs across the Canada-U.S. border.

Officers moved in on a Black Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter in the early hours of Jan. 23. The chopper was tucked in a corner of a large rural property south of Silverton, B.C.

The chopper was airlifted to a nearby flatbed truck and then transported to an RCMP compound.

"We want the courts to hit criminals right in the wallet and, in this case, take away an expensive asset that assists them in trafficking controlled drugs," said Sgt. Dennis Blanch of the RCMP's border integrity program.

Police said a B.C. Supreme Court ruling on Jan. 22 gave RCMP the green light to seize the helicopter.

Officials said the helicopter was used for cross-border drug smuggling for 1 ½ years.

Organized crime groups often use inexperienced, unlicensed pilots and unregistered helicopters, which poses a risk to public safety, they said.

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  RCMP seized a Black Bell 206B Jet Ranger helicopter in the early hours of Jan. 23 on a rural property south of Silverton, B.C.