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veggie

Registered: 07/25/04
Posts: 17,504
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He altered trucks to hide drugs, but RCMP couldn't make a case [CAN]
#7803430 - 12/27/07 10:25 AM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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He altered trucks to hide drugs, but RCMP couldn't make a case December 27, 2007 - Vancouver Sun
VANCOUVER - A Lower Mainland man who built secret compartments on contract for cross-border drug smugglers had his home raided by the RCMP, but the Mounties weren't able to find enough evidence to charge him, The Vancouver Sun has learned.
Over the past several years, commercial trucks have become an increasingly popular way for gangs to move marijuana into the United States and get cocaine and guns into Canada.
In some cases, the drugs are buried in the cargo itself, such as in boxes of lemons.
But just as often, the contraband is stored in secret compartments hidden anywhere from the truck's fuel tank to the ceiling of the cab.
Last year, the RCMP received information that someone with expertise in building such compartments was selling his services to drug gangs.
"He was doing it for a living," said Corp. Norm Massie, head of the RCMP's Border Integrity section. "He was known for it."
The man's specialty, said Massie, appeared to be secret compartments built into the two back doors of a truck's trailer.
Using the dead space already in the doors, said Massie, the man constructed two separate compartments, each capable of holding 75 one-kg bricks of cocaine.
Taken together, they permitted a driver to take 150 kg of cocaine across the border in one go -- drugs with a wholesale value of about $4 million and a street value of $12 million.
"That's a major haul," said Massie.
After further investigation, police executed a search warrant at the man's home and found evidence that he was building the compartments.
But Massie said it wasn't enough to pursue charges, because they weren't able to prove the man knew his devices were being used for crime.
"This guy simply said, 'I'm told to build something. I have no idea what it's for, what it's going to be used for,' " said Massie. "We couldn't prove a charge, because making these compartments, in itself, is not illegal."
Because the man was not charged, Massie refused to identify him.
While the search warrant was executed more than a year ago, police -- until now -- had not commented on it.
The Sun first learned about the case after obtaining an internal Canada Border Services Agency report that refers to the search.
The report, obtained through an Access to Information request, states CBSA officers assisted the RCMP "with a search warrant of a residence belonging to a suspected manufacturer of vehicular false compartments. The search warrant led to the discovery of numerous documents and drawings related to the construction of false compartments."
Despite not being able to pursue charges, Massie said he hopes the search warrant was enough to scare the man out of the business.
"The organized crime groups know that we know who he is now," he said.
So far this year, CBSA officers in the Pacific region have seized 457 kg of cocaine at the border, including 90 kg found in a shipment of lemons on Dec. 12.
Last year, the CBSA seized 585 kg of cocaine.
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primal21
Stranger

Registered: 12/11/07
Posts: 63
Last seen: 15 years, 10 months
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Re: He altered trucks to hide drugs, but RCMP couldn't make a case [CAN] [Re: veggie]
#7803503 - 12/27/07 10:59 AM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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How is it even illegal to modify trucks like that? Stupid mounties
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist


Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,276
Last seen: 1 hour, 40 minutes
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Re: He altered trucks to hide drugs, but RCMP couldn't make a case [CAN] [Re: primal21]
#7803525 - 12/27/07 11:07 AM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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> How is it even illegal to modify trucks like that? Stupid mounties
It would be conspiracy if you knew what they were being used for.
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Cannabischarlie
Resident badass


Registered: 11/28/05
Posts: 14,494
Last seen: 1 day, 11 hours
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Re: He altered trucks to hide drugs, but RCMP couldn't make a case [CAN] [Re: Alan Rockefeller]
#7803550 - 12/27/07 11:14 AM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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So they can execute a search warrant for building something thats not really illegal? Lovely how the drug war gives people an excuse to disobey due process and trample civil rights.
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we could all use a little more sunshine.
yeah, she's funny and somewhat interesting. not a beauty queen, but not bad lookin. i'd feel quite honored to fuck janine garofalo. -tiny_rabid_birds
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McLovin727
25yr old organdonor



Registered: 12/16/07
Posts: 31
Loc: 727, florida
Last seen: 13 years, 5 months
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Re: He altered trucks to hide drugs, but RCMP couldn't make a case [CAN] [Re: Cannabischarlie]
#7803887 - 12/27/07 12:39 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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who is to say what a person knows or not?
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LoWgRoW
Strange



Registered: 09/22/07
Posts: 296
Last seen: 6 years, 11 months
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Re: He altered trucks to hide drugs, but RCMP couldn't make a case [CAN] [Re: McLovin727]
#7803917 - 12/27/07 12:54 PM (16 years, 1 month ago) |
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I'm glad he has not been charged. But he is out of business for sure.
-------------------- Avoid negative people.
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