Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - February 14, 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A8 A 8 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2014 MANITOBA winnipegfreepress. com S E L K I R K C H E V R O L E T • B U I C K • G M C RIGHT PRICE, RIGHT SERVICE, RIGHT NOW! $ 47,777 Stk.# 134856 2013 ENCLAVE CXL PREMIUM AWD GM EXECUTIVE DRIVEN DEMO 485 Berry Street msrp $ 60,015 204- 953- 2345 www. danielsgourmetkitchenware. ca 40 % OFF d. a. Niels ww Floursack Towels and Dishcloths, Aprons, Oven Mitts, Tablecloths, Placemats FEBRUARY SALE 100- 100 Princess St. 204- 925- 4162 interiorillusions. ca ON SALE NOW See store for details CLEARANCE SALE AT THESE LOCATIONS ONLY * Off regular price. Selection varies by location. While quantities last. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. FIRST KENASTON PLACE 204- 204- 489- 0345 ST. VITAL CENTRE 204- 255- 2738 BIGGEST CLEARANCE EVER $ 69 99 DESIGNER SUITS $ 9 99 $ 14 99 $ 24 99 CASUAL PANTS & SWEATERS DRESS SHIRTS & TIES DRESS PANTS and up and up and up and up WE’RE MAKING ROOM FOR NEW SPRING INVENTORY KILDONAN PLACE 204- 661- 8081 W INNIPEG police believe they have “ crippled” a multimillion- dollar drug- trafficking network following a nearly two- year organized- crime investigation. Details of Project Sideshow were released at a news conference Thursday morning. Police say they began targeting “ an organized- crime group that operates across Canada” in the spring of 2012, culminating in 19 search warrants being executed last week in Manitoba and British Columbia. A total of 14 people were arrested, including a 32- year- old Winnipeg man believed to be at the centre of the ring. They are facing dozens of drug, weapons and conspiracy- related charges. Investigators say they used “ courtauthorized techniques to intercept communications between drug traffickers.” Police also got legal permission to conduct secretive searches of properties where they “ observed, photographed and sampled their drugs.” In total, police say they documented 92 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $ 5 million, three- and- a- half kilograms of methamphetamine with a street value of $ 192,000, one kilogram 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. “ The bulk of the seizures were made at the end of the project,” Winnipeg Police Service Staff Sgt. Rob Harding said Thursday. He called this one of the biggest operations his members have been involved with. “ We certainly saw a greater quantity of cash and drugs changing hands compared to other projects,” he said. Police also say they collected evidence of money laundering “ in which the proceeds from the sale of illicit drugs were laundered through the use of privately owned ATM machines located within Winnipeg businesses.” “ These organized- crime groups become more powerful as they grow and they collaborate or incorporate legitimate business,” said Harding. “ Their ability to grow and prosper has been crippled by this operation. It also sends a message to other groups out there that we are watching and that we do have the ability to infiltrate their operations and take them down.” www. mikeoncrime. com During last week’s raids, police seized the following: . $ 301,800 in Canadian currency. . More than five kilograms of cocaine. . 1.5 kilograms of MDMA ( ecstasy). . 17 ounces of ketamine. . Three pounds of cannabis marijuana. . More than eight kilograms of cutting agent. . Drug- trafficking paraphernalia ( i. e. packaging materials, scales, cellphones, a vacuum sealer and a money counter). . Nine- millimetre semiautomatic handgun. . Sawed- off 12- gauge shotgun ( prohibited). . Olympic arms assault rifle. . Ammunition and magazines. . Ballistic vest. . Nine vehicles, including one motorcycle. . Six ATM machines ( from four locations). The following people are now facing drug and weapons- related charges: . Carol Villanueva Banayos, 32, Winnipeg. . Ronald George Morrison, 67, Winnipeg. . Rayan Dizon, 35, Winnipeg. . Oliver Villanueva Banayos, 36, Winnipeg. . Philip Manh Nguyen, 28, Winnipeg. . Lindsey Lafrenais, 32, Winnipeg. . Baljinder Singh, 33, Winnipeg. . Narinder Singh, 39, Winnipeg. . Ryan Michael Dimaala, 32, Winnipeg. . Vanessa Gillies, 27, Winnipeg/ Toronto. . Chandeep Singh Dhaliwal, 28, Howden, MB. . Ronald Baldovi, 35, Port Coquitlam, B. C. . Timothy Fuller, 46, Vancouver. . Cara Melissa Smith, 33, Vancouver. Guns, drugs, cash seized; 14 arrests made Drug- trafficking network dealt crippling blow: police By Mike McIntyre WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg police Staff Sgt. Rob Harding unveils goods seized as a result of Project Sideshow at a news conference Thursday. A_ 10_ Feb- 14- 14_ FP_ 01. indd A8 2/ 13/ 14 8: 56: 38 PM ;