Scott Everette Pedersen, of Victoria, and Mexican national Vicente Hernandez will next appear in court March 31.
Scott Everette Pedersen, of Victoria, and Mexican national Vicente Hernandez will next appear in court March 31. Both are 38.
Staff Sgt. Dave Goddard, of the Greater Vancouver Drug Section, said police don't yet know if the men are linked to a specific crime group or cartel, but that organized crime had to be behind the huge drug haul.
"Any time you get a shipment of this size, there is a large organization that is in place," Goddard said. "It may be a multitude of groups, it may be a multitude of investors."
The massive load would have fuelled organized crime across the country, Chief Supt. Bob Harriman said.
Harriman said there have been more than 2,500 drug deaths in B.C. over the last decade.
"This does not include the hundreds of victims of open-air shootings that also result in many more injuries and deaths as drug supremacy wars unfold among drug-dealing groups," he said.
Solicitor-General Kash Heed said the coke haul was one of the biggest in B.C. history.
"By the time this is sold at the street level, it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars to criminals," Heed said.
"This amount of cocaine removed from the market hits organized crime hard and our government is committed to continue this aggressive pursuit of crime groups and gangs involved in this type of activity."
The bricks of cocaine were stacked more than a metre high at a news conference at RCMP E-Division headquarters Monday. About two dozen law enforcement officers, some of them undercover, crowded into the room as media outlets filmed the bricks, stamped with the number 5 and a smaller number 1.
Supt. Brian Cantera, who is in charge of drug enforcement for the province, said the sailboat was contacted by a Canadian Forces aircraft doing a routine patrol. The crew gave the name Huntress and a call number. Both were registered to a fishing boat, which aroused suspicions. The Canadian Forces called the RCMP, who intercepted the boat two hours later at Port Hardy. Cantera said the boat was observed meeting a Zodiac before it docked. The cocaine was found a short distance away in 37 duffel bags dumped on the shore.
"Cocaine is a drug that fuels a significant level of violence in our society," Cantera said.
"It is a dangerous drug and it has all the makings to destroy many lives in our society when it is distributed amongst our communities and we are determined to intercept this distribution."
The sailboat and an inflatable raft were seized, as well as sophisticated navigational equipment, Cantera said.
Goddard said Hernandez was not living in Canada.
Pedersen faced an assault charge dating from 2002, but was acquitted, though a judge noted he was present while his co-accused in the case viciously beat the victim.
Staff Sgt. Dave Goddard, of the Greater Vancouver Drug Section, said police don't yet know if the men are linked to a specific crime group or cartel, but that organized crime had to be behind the huge drug haul.
"Any time you get a shipment of this size, there is a large organization that is in place," Goddard said. "It may be a multitude of groups, it may be a multitude of investors."
The massive load would have fuelled organized crime across the country, Chief Supt. Bob Harriman said.
Harriman said there have been more than 2,500 drug deaths in B.C. over the last decade.
"This does not include the hundreds of victims of open-air shootings that also result in many more injuries and deaths as drug supremacy wars unfold among drug-dealing groups," he said.
Solicitor-General Kash Heed said the coke haul was one of the biggest in B.C. history.
"By the time this is sold at the street level, it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars to criminals," Heed said.
"This amount of cocaine removed from the market hits organized crime hard and our government is committed to continue this aggressive pursuit of crime groups and gangs involved in this type of activity."
The bricks of cocaine were stacked more than a metre high at a news conference at RCMP E-Division headquarters Monday. About two dozen law enforcement officers, some of them undercover, crowded into the room as media outlets filmed the bricks, stamped with the number 5 and a smaller number 1.
Supt. Brian Cantera, who is in charge of drug enforcement for the province, said the sailboat was contacted by a Canadian Forces aircraft doing a routine patrol. The crew gave the name Huntress and a call number. Both were registered to a fishing boat, which aroused suspicions. The Canadian Forces called the RCMP, who intercepted the boat two hours later at Port Hardy. Cantera said the boat was observed meeting a Zodiac before it docked. The cocaine was found a short distance away in 37 duffel bags dumped on the shore.
"Cocaine is a drug that fuels a significant level of violence in our society," Cantera said.
"It is a dangerous drug and it has all the makings to destroy many lives in our society when it is distributed amongst our communities and we are determined to intercept this distribution."
The sailboat and an inflatable raft were seized, as well as sophisticated navigational equipment, Cantera said.
Goddard said Hernandez was not living in Canada.
Pedersen faced an assault charge dating from 2002, but was acquitted, though a judge noted he was present while his co-accused in the case viciously beat the victim.
Comments