Pubdate: Wed, 19 Feb 2014
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2014 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter
Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Mike McIntyre

TECH KEY TO INVESTIGATION

Documents Reveal Details of Police Tactics

It is believed to be the largest, most elaborate undercover 
investigation ever tackled by Winnipeg police.

Now details of how officers took down a multimillion-dollar 
drug-trafficking network last week have become public through 
hundreds of pages of court documents released Tuesday.

The affidavits, which were used to obtain arrest warrants for 14 
accused, document every step of the nearly two-year-long probe dubbed 
Project Sideshow.

Among the more revealing details:

* Police monitored and intercepted more than 300,000 separate 
communications -- phone calls, texts and emails -- between January 
and December 2013. Police say this number would have been much higher 
if not for the fact many of their targets relied on "encrypted 
communication devices... demonstrating their high level of sophistication."

* Police began focusing on two different Winnipeg-based drug "cells" 
in the spring of 2012, but found plenty of crossover and interaction 
between them. One cell stretched west to British Columbia, while the 
other headed east to Ontario. Both are connected to Asian organized crime.

* Police regularly observed multiple kilograms of cocaine being 
smuggled from Vancouver to Winnipeg, often hidden inside the luggage 
of trusted couriers. Police obtained warrants that allowed them to 
secretly search the luggage at airports, documenting the contents 
before allowing it to continue on its way.

Multiple kilograms of cocaine were frequently driven into Manitoba, 
both from B.C. and Ontario, and the drivers would use covert 
techniques to hide it inside the vehicle to avoid detection should 
they be stopped by police.

*An apartment on Market Avenue in Winnipeg was used as a "stash 
house" for drugs and weapons. Police obtained warrants to allow them 
to "sneak and peek" inside the residence on several occasions to 
document what was happening inside there.

* Police hid video cameras inside the homes and hotel rooms of 
several targets after getting legal authority to do so.

* Police obtained production orders to look into the banking records 
of some accused.

* Police obtained four tracking warrants, which allowed them to place 
devices on target vehicles to monitor their movements.

* Six different automated teller machines were installed across the 
city by the accused as a means of laundering hundreds of thousands of 
dollars worth of proceeds of drug sales.

It's clear technology played a vital role in the investigation, which 
culminated in 19 search warrants being executed last week in Manitoba 
and British Columbia. All 14 accused are now facing dozens of drug, 
weapons and conspiracy-related charges.

In total, police say they documented 92 kg of cocaine with a street 
value of $5 million, 31/2 kg of methamphetamine with a street value 
of $192,000, one kg of ecstasy with a street value of $20,000 and 
more than $4.3 million in cash believed to be from proceeds of drug sales.

The actual amounts of drugs and cash exchanged are believed to far 
exceed the amounts observed, police say. Officers were only able to 
seize a small amount of what they saw, as they couldn't risk 
jeopardizing the investigation.

In the documents released Tuesday, police provide a flowchart that 
shows the level of suspected involvement from all 14 accused and how 
they are linked to the two targeted cells. There are also itemized 
lists of drugs and weapons police observed and documented during the 
investigation.

In previous covert sting operations such as this, the vast majority 
of accused end up striking deals to plead guilty, knowing fighting 
these air-tight cases at trial would be futile.

Only time will tell if that's the end result of this case, which 
police say involved a greater volume of criminal activity and drug 
and weapons trafficking than anything they've previously seen.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom