The B.C. government wants to keep $271,760 belonging to a mystery “John Doe” after a shipping mixup led to the discovery of 100 kilograms of illicit cannabis.
On Nov. 5, an Abbotsford company called police after receiving in error a large crate destined for the East Coast. Inside were garbage bags stuffed with dried cannabis.
Abbotsford police contacted the shipping firm — Van Kam Freightways in Nanaimo — and learned that “a customer named John had arranged for the crate to be sent to Newfoundland.”
“Van Kam inadvertently mislabelled the crate, and it was sent to the Abbotsford company,” a statement of claim filed this month by the director of civil forfeiture says.
Officers called “John” on a phone number he had provided and left several voicemails. Needless to say, John didn’t call back.
A week later, Van Kam staff contacted Nanaimo RCMP “to advise that they had received a suspicious crate originating from Newfoundland to be held for customer pick-up by John.”
The shipping company turned the crate over to police. When it was opened on Nov. 20, officers found several plastic bags in a small refrigerator/freezer containing $271,760.
“The money was bundled or packaged in a manner not consistent with standard banking practices,” the director said in the lawsuit.
Neither police agency has yet been able to find the people involved in the shipment, the statement of claim said.
The B.C. government agency said the cash should be forfeited as it is “an instrument of unlawful activity.”
The crimes alleged include possession, distribution and sales of cannabis in violation of the federal Cannabis Act, as well as violations of the provincial Cannabis Control and Licensing Act.
The director also claims that the people involved in the cannabis shipment allegedly possessed the proceeds of crime and failed to declare taxable income.
A manager at Van Kam in Nanaimo declined to comment Monday, saying that he understood the criminal investigation is continuing.
Abbotsford police Const. Paul Walker said their probe has been completed.
“No criminal charges will be coming out from our end. We have provided details of our investigation back to Nanaimo RCMP who were investigating on their end as well,” he said.
Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien confirmed Monday that the detachment’s investigation remains ongoing.
No statement of defence has yet been filed.
