Photo: RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime
The RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime is asking for help locating a B.C. man wanted on Canada Wide Warrant since 2013.
In 2013, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada announced charges relating to a joint investigation between the RCMP Federal Serious Organized Crime (FSOC), the California Division of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in an international money laundering investigation.
Together, the FSOC, DEA, and IRS-CI investigated a Vietnamese Organized Crime (VOC) group which, "allegedly involved in the laundering of approximately $2.7 million dollars obtained from the trafficking of cocaine and ecstasy."
Allegedly, the Vietnamese organized crime group had a drug trafficking network moving ecstasy and marihuana south to the U.S. and cocaine north to Canada that included affiliations in California, Mexico, Australia, Vietnam and across Canada.
In 2010, Minh Nguyen, 32, who is from Orange County, California was arrested and plead guilty to money laundering and drug trafficking, in relation to this investigation; he received an eight-year sentence in the United States.
Cong Dinh, 32, is from Burnaby and was also charged with five counts of Laundering the Proceeds of Crime and one count of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime. A Canada Wide Warrant was issued for his arrest, but Dinh is believed to have fled Canada to Vietnam prior to charges being approved and he has not been located.
In order to raise awareness and find Cong Dinh, RCMP FSOC is partnering with the Bolo Program who is launching an amplification campaign to run online, in print, television, radio and strategic physical locations throughout the country.
"Dinh and the Vietnamese Organized Crime group he belonged to is alleged to have laundered millions of dollars from drugs trafficked onto Canadian Streets. We are committed to continued collaboration with our domestic and International partners and are hopeful this new relationship with the Bolo Program, will be the key in locating Dinh so he can be returned to Canada to answer to these charges," states Chief Superintendent Keith Finn Officer in Charge of FSOC in BC.
Launched in Toronto in May 2018 with the Cooperated of the Toronto Police Service, the Bolo Program is a Canadian public safety innovation project. The program aims to encourage citizens to be on the lookout for Canada’s most wanted, so they can submit tips to assist the police to arrest these suspects.
In addition to the funding the awareness campaign, the Bolo Program, in cooperation with Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers, is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for any information leading Cong Dinh's arrest. The reward will be available until June 3, 2020.
Crime Stoppers will award the money to anyone who anonymously provides them with information that leads police to Dinh’s arrest.
Dinh is described as:
- Asian,
- 32 years-old
- 5 ft 7 inches and 141 lbs
- Black hair
- Brown eyes
Anyone who has information on the location of Cong Dinh is encouraged to contact their local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online at SOLVECRIME.CA.
