Pubdate: Thu, 29 Mar 2007
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 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/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

METH DROPPED OFF AT CITY DELI

An Informant Told Supreme Court He Went To Hope To Collect
Money

VANCOUVER - A kilogram of methamphetamine for a member of the Hells
Angels was dropped on the counter of a deli in Vancouver's Champlain
Mall in September 2004 by million-dollar police agent Michael Plante,
who infiltrated the biker gang, B.C. Supreme Court was told Wednesday.

Plante described to Justice Victor Curtis the calls, meetings and text
messages he had in August and September that year with accused
trafficker Ronnie Lising and others allegedly involved in selling meth
linked to the Hells Angels.

Lising and Nima Ghavami, a Hells Angels associate, were charged after
a massive RCMP undercover operation dubbed E-Pandora that culminated
in a July 2005 police raid on two Hells Angels clubhouses and the
arrest of 18 people, including six full-patch members.

Plante said he followed Lising's instructions, given at a late-night
meeting Sept. 6 outside Burnaby's 8 Rinks sports complex, to drop the
meth off the next morning at the south Vancouver mall.

Plante, who was secretly passing on details of the meetings to his
RCMP handlers, was filmed by police arriving at the mall, removing a
vinyl bag from his black Mustang and walking inside for the delivery.

He testified that throughout the rest of the day, he got text messages
from Lising about a trip Plante was to make to Hope the next day to
collect thousands of dollars for the meth.

Plante said he was summoned to Lising's home for more orders and was
told to go to a Hope restaurant and to read the newspaper while
waiting for the Kelowna man to arrive.

"As soon as you get there, if there are any questions, text me,"
Lising said in a conversation captured on a recording device being
worn by Plante. "Try to keep an eye out for him"

Plante said Lising gave him a small piece of paper, which was entered
as an exhibit in court. Highway exit 170 was written on it, as well as
a cryptic message about "using phones for outgoing calls" and the
number 10,000 -- the amount he was supposed to collect.

Plante, who was promised $1 million by the RCMP for his undercover
work, explained that Lising was angry after learning the Kelowna man
had been making calls on a phone provided by Lising only for text
messages related to the drug transactions.

"I don't care if you are calling taxis or pizzas, don't use that
f---ing phone," Lising said in one recorded conversation.

Plante said that when he arrived in Hope, the man explained he only
had $5,000, which Plante said he was handed in a rolled-up newspaper.
That led to Lising sending the man a text message "hey f---face,
that's not what you promised."

Plante, whose credibility has already been challenged by defence
lawyers, is expected to be be under cross-examination today as the
trial continues.
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MAP posted-by: Derek