B.C. Attorney General David Eby and Federal Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair speak to media following a meeting to discuss money laundering during a press conference at Legislature on March 27, 2019. British Columbia's attorney general says he's troubled by a report that finds there are no federal Mounties dedicated to money laundering investigations in the province.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
April 08, 2019 - 3:13 PM
VICTORIA - British Columbia's attorney general says he's troubled by a report that finds there are no federal Mounties dedicated to money laundering investigations in the province.
David Eby says despite two years of headlines that organized crime is laundering billions in illegal cash in B.C., the only dedicated RCMP presence is a provincially funded team fighting the crime in casinos.
The information comes in the partial release of a money laundering report conducted by former RCMP deputy commissioner Peter German, who was appointed by Eby last fall to review the use of illicit money in B.C. real estate, horse racing and luxury vehicle sales.
German says his review found 26 federally funded positions on the RCMP's money laundering team in B.C., but not one of those was dedicated to money laundering investigations.
Eby says he is calling on the federal government devote more officers and resources to fighting the problem.
Organized Crime Reduction Minister Bill Blair, who has said previously that the federal government is committed to combating money laundering, was not immediately available for comment.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2019