Pubdate: Wed, 11 Jan 2006
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Kim Bolan, Vancouver Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

MAN SURRENDERS IN DRUG-SMUGGLING CASE

Canadian Owner of Motel in U.S. Used As Centre of a Cross-Border
Smuggling Ring Turns Himself In

The Canadian owner of a Seattle area motel alleged to be the centre of
a cross-border drug smuggling ring has turned himself into U.S.
authorities after being charged last September.

Maninder Singh Khatkar, 46, surrendered at the Peace Arch border
crossing Monday morning and is to appear at a bail hearing in a
Seattle courtroom today, Emily Langlie, of the U.S. Attorney's office,
said Tuesday.

Khatkar, who owns the seedy Daffodil Motel on the Pacific Highway, is
alleged to have conspired with three others, including a Surrey man
named Lakhwinder (Lucky) Singh Johal, to traffic in cocaine and
marijuana, using the motel as a trans-shipment and storage point.

He has been staying at the Surrey house of his late brother Ranjit, a
popular real estate agent who died of cancer last month.

Johal is still at large and believed to have left B.C.

Langlie said the U.S. will seek Johal's extradition on the charges,
which stem from a lengthy investigation involving the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration and other U.S. agencies, as well as the
RCMP.

And she said the investigation is on-going, meaning others could still
be implicated.

"It remains an on-going investigation. I never want to predict when we
are done," Langlie said. "Our interest is in dismantling organizations
and we will continue to work this case."

A confidential DEA source described the sophisticated and
multinational crime group to agent Kasey Kanekoa in March 2004, saying
it was involved in transporting marijuana from B.C. to the U.S. and
bringing large quantities of cocaine back the other way.

Kanekoa later learned that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
was investigating the same two men implicated by the source -- Khatkar
and Rajinder Singh Johal, a U.S. resident who is Lucky's brother. A
joint investigation was started in the fall of 2004 and U.S. agencies
undertook a review of cross-border truck seizures.

"An analysis of previous arrests and seizures by ICE agents reveals
that this organization uses commercial trucks, rental cars and other
unknown means to conduct their drug smuggling activity," Kanekoa said
in an affidavit filed in the case. "Preliminary financial
investigation suggests widespread laundering of illegal proceeds
through at least one of several businesses owned by the target subjects."

Several other B.C. residents have already been charged and convicted
of drug crimes. The DEA says they were part of the organized ring,
according to court documents.

In November 2003, Balwinder Singh (Binder) Sidhu -- who is alleged to
be part of the same drug gang -- was arrested crossing into Washington
state in his commercial truck. Agents found 89 kilograms of marijuana
in the fuel tank. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 37 months in
jail. Although he was released last June, he has refused to cooperate
with the bigger probe.

A second B.C. trucker, who was transporting apples and 68 kilograms of
marijuana, was arrested Dec. 10, 2003, and agreed to become a
confidential informant. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake