Pubdate: Sat, 03 Feb 2007 Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329 Author: Sean Mckibbon, Sun Media Note: MAP archives articles exactly as published, except that our editors may redact the names and addresses of accused persons who have not been convicted of a crime, if those named are not otherwise public figures or officials. A 'SIGNIFICANT BLOW' Arrest of Queen Bee and Her Cronies Has Crippled Local Grow-Op, Drug Smuggling Ring The day Ottawa's "Queen Bee" of drugs and dirty money rolled into court it seemed her case would never end. Money laundering and grow-op ring leader Mai Le, her family members, criminal business associates and not a few bewildered-looking people who would later have their charges dropped, trundled one by one into court to stand in the prisoners' dock and get a bail date. Almost 40 people had been arrested in Ottawa as police executed the final phase of an investigation dubbed Project Codi. In the U.S., the investigation was called Operation Candy Box. Close to three years later, the bulk of the accused have been dealt with. For the most part, the Crown has made its case against its biggest targets -- without many of the cases even going to trial. Le is on her way to Houston, to face U.S. charges following her guilty plea to Canadian offences on Monday. Her alleged co-ringleader, Wong Ze Wai, a Chinese citizen arrested in Toronto, has pleaded guilty in a New York court to charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, narcotics trafficking and participating in a continuing criminal enterprise. In the early morning hours of March 31, 2004, local police, acting in concert with law enforcement agencies in Montreal, Toronto and the U.S., dealt a crippling blow to a crime ring that ran marijuana grow ops, ecstasy (MDMA) smuggling and cross-border money laundering. More than 140 arrests were made. Purchased Homes Le, a Vietnamese Canadian and member of Ottawa's business community, was said to be the "chief financial officer," of the criminal enterprise, orchestrating cross-border money laundering through a local business called MDN Currency Exchange and a series of travel agencies and other seemingly legitimate businesses. Her organization also financed and co-ordinated the purchase and operation of homes for grow ops. Police say that often the buyers of the properties seemed to have little means of buying a house, much less coming up with a 25% downpayment. Often, the buyers would not be found on the premises when busts were made and would disavow any knowledge of what was being done by their "tenants." Officials say one of the clues that led to the ring's demise was that many of those arrested previously in connection with grow ops listed Le's Little Italy-based business Vivi Fashions as an employer. Meanwhile, in Toronto Wong Ze Wai was alleged to have been living illegally in Canada and running an ecstasy smuggling ring that made use of the Queen Bee's laundering services. 15% of Market In January 2005, when Wong was extradited to the U.S., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimated his ecstasy operation was responsible for 15% of their market. A release from the agency said prices had climbed 8% since the arrests. In August 2003, three ecstasy labs were dismantled by Canadian police as part of the project. The DEA says the investigation found Wong's organization could distribute up to a million ecstasy pills per month in the U.S. and Canada. U.S. seizures in Operation Candy Box totalled 407,000 MDMA pills, 1,370 lbs. of marijuana, 6.5 lbs. of speed, and $8.9 million US in currency. Wong's U.S. indictment says the proceeds of ecstasy sales would either be driven to Le's operation or would be wired to China and Vietnam and then back to Canada. As Project Codi progressed, police intercepted a number of those shipments destined for laundering, putting Le in a tight situation of indebtedness to Wong. Police even discovered in a wiretapped phone call that indicated one of Le's associates was being detained by Wong's associates until appropriate arrangements could be made for repayment. An undercover police officer established a relationship with Le on a flight from Hong Kong and arranged for her and the owner of a Montreal cheque-cashing business to launder more than $100,000. One Canadian official familiar with the investigation in Ottawa said that while the plague of grow ops in the capital had not been cured, a "significant blow" had been dealt to the organization. [sidebar] THE PLAYERS The Guilty: Mai Le -- Pleaded guilty Jan. 29 to instructing others to launder crime profits and breach Canada's drug laws for a criminal organization. She also copped to evading $724,563 in taxes in 2003 by failing to declare more than $2.5 million in income. She's been taken to the U.S. to face prosecution there and is scheduled to return to Canada in September to set a sentencing date here. Dinh Do -- Pleaded guilty Jan 20, 2006 to being a member of a criminal organization. Deported to Vietnam after serving a six-month sentence. Minh Trieu Lam -- Pleaded guilty Oct. 5, 2006 to production of marijuana and tax evasion. Sentenced to four months of jail and forfeited $10,150. Van Hai Le -- Pleaded guilty Dec. 11 to conspiracy to traffic marijuana, possession of the proceeds of crime and income tax evasion. Sentenced to two years less a day in jail for the conspiracy and six months concurrent for not reporting roughly $200,000 in revenue he made from a grow op. Charges against his wife were dropped. Kien Huy Phung -- A Montreal cheque-cashing business owner pleaded guilty April 4, 2005 to money laundering and was sentenced to 16 months jail. Phung was allowed to keep $500,000 seized by police in a raid of his business. He was ordered to forfeit $4,000 paid by an undercover police officer as a money laundering fee. Charges were withdrawn against Phung's business partner Kheng Ly in exchange for Phung's guilty plea. Maurice Chan -- Pleaded guilty to trafficking marijuana and breach of probation Feb 28, 2005. Sentenced to eight months jail. Elias Sotizoboulos -- Pleaded guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking in Montreal and sentenced to 18 months. Charges were withdrawn against two other men, Troy Hysko and Georges Gordoudakes who were charged with him. Van Phuc Nguyen -- Pleaded guilty to production of a controlled substance. Sentenced to one day in jail plus six months of presentence custody. Nhu Ban Dinh -- Pleaded guilty to possession for the purpose of trafficking. Sentenced to 160 days of pretrial custody and 12 months probation. He forfeited $200. Tuan Van Nguyen -- Pleaded guilty to conspiracy 87 days pretrial custody, 10 months probation. Van Hanh Nguyen -- Pleaded guilty Feb 23, 2005 to being a member of a criminal organization. Given five-year jail sentence and forfeited $10,920. Khamsene Aphayavong -- Pleaded guilty Feb 9, 2005, to production of marijuana. Sentenced to 18-month conditional sentence plus 10 months probation with 75 hours of community service and a 10-year weapon prohibition. Currently seeking permission to appeal sentence. Ngoc Hiep Pham -- Pleaded guilty April 8, 2005, to production of marijuana. Sentenced to 30 months jail, plus 10-year weapon prohibition. Charges Withdrawn: [redacted] Charges Outstanding: [redacted] Extradited or Being Prosecuted in the U.S.: [redacted], alegedly ran marijuana drug ring with his sister; [redacted], the son of a Vietnamese diplomat, [redacted] alegedly worked for [redacted] as a money laundering courier. He was committed for extradition June 16, 2005; [redacted], U.S. authorities allege this Chinese citizen, who was in Canada illegally, was the head of an ecstasy smuggling ring in Toronto and used Le's money laundering services. Still Wanted: [redacted] Awaiting Sentence: Former boyfriend and girlfriend Phuong Thi Le and Kiet Vuy Ly. Both are to be sentenced Monday after being found guilty of production of marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake