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Abduction Linked To Pot Smuggling
Pubdate: Wed, 11 May 2005
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Province
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Ethan Baron
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
ABDUCTION LINKED TO POT SMUGGLING
Armed Men Kept Prisoner For Three Days
Cross-border marijuana smuggling led to a violent kidnapping that ended
with the arrest of six men and two women in New Westminster, police say.
The crime adds another dimension to the plague of violence in the Lower
Mainland's Indo-Canadian community. Two of those arrested have been
arrested in connection with similar kidnappings this year.
Around 1 a.m. May 2, a 29-year-old Abbotsford man was leaving his job in
Coquitlam. A group of men, armed with guns, forced him into a vehicle.
Over the next three days, the victim was taken to a number of Lower
Mainland locations. Along the way, he suffered injuries that police won't
reveal.
After police received information about the crime, 10 police agencies
worked together to secure the man's release the evening of May 4.
Once the victim was freed, police swooped down on a New Westminster home
and arrested the eight suspects.
All are charged with one count each of kidnapping, unlawful confinement,
threatening, assault causing bodily harm and possession of a weapon.
Those charged are Jasvinder Singh Mangat, 26, of Burnaby; Sarpreet Singh
Johal, 26, of Surrey; Harjit Singh Deo, 21, of New Westminster; Davinder
Singh Johal, 19, of Vancouver; Hirinder Kaur Deo, 24, of New Westminster;
Surjit Kaur Deo, 33, of New Westminster; Garinder Singh Deo, 18, of New
Westminster; and Jethinder Singh Narwal, 30, of Surrey.
Narwal was also charged with kidnapping after an April 26 incident.
Police believe the May 2 kidnapping is related to shipping of marijuana to
the U.S., said Abbotsford police Const. Shinder Kirk
"We have seen over the past several years that the drug trade is extremely
lucrative, that organized groups, or even unorganized groups, will do
anything to protect their trade from competitors," Kirk said. "And
marijuana is no exception."
The kidnapping victim was treated and released.
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