The BC government has filed its fourth unexplained wealth order (UWO) application, seeking to seize $5.6 million worth of properties connected to what police say was a large, illegal cannabis production and distribution business.
Police became aware of the three houses, two in Vancouver and one in Abbotsford, after they responded to reports of shots being fired at an east Vancouver residence in September 2022.
In their investigation, police found more than $1.5 million in Canadian and US cash, spent shell casings, and an illicit cannabis operation along with packaged cannabis. The investigation also led police to an illicit cannabis operation at the Abbotsford property, operating outside of the scope of medical production authorizations, as well as a large amount of cash at another Vancouver property.
The civil forfeiture suit, first filed on December 4, 2023, names Jianxin Uang and Xiao Zhen Jean Li. Huang was arrested for murder on October 18, a little over a month after the reports of shots fired that opened the investigation on Sept. 10. One man was reported dead, according to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), while another was said to be recovering.
“We are steadfast in identifying people who are involved with guns, gangs and drugs, and seizing their ill-gotten assets to prevent them from profiting from the misery of others,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, in a press release on September 9.
“We believe these properties, money and other items are proceeds and instruments of unlawful activity, namely, the black-market production and illegal distribution of cannabis. Through this court application, we are seeking a court order that will require the defendants to produce evidence to prove these items were received and purchased through legal means, and the source of the cash is legitimate.”
Last year, the BC government passed the Civil Forfeiture Amendment Act, 2023, giving it the power to begin legal proceedings against property connected to illegal cannabis grow operations. The government had pursued such cases prior to the passage of the 2023 law, as well. BC’s civil forfeiture program was created in 2006 and has come under criticism from civil liberties groups.
In December 2023, the BC Supreme Court put a pause on the province’s efforts to seize $12 million in properties connected to illegal cannabis and psilocybin dispensaries.
In May 2024, The BC Civil Forfeiture Office began civil forfeiture proceedings against two properties following investigations into the sale and distribution of illicit cannabis by a company operating in Surrey, BC. The investigations by Surrey RCMP into the illicit sales and distribution of cannabis took place from April 2020 to February 2022. The two properties are located in Maple Ridge and Mission.
Featured image of 4372 Victoria Dr in Vancouver via Google Maps
