B.C.’s inquiry into money laundering finally got a glimpse inside what was billed as Canada’s largest-ever money-laundering investigation, and it was an ugly, ugly sight.
The one-man inquiry commission was told hundreds of police officers and regulators worked from April to October 2015 on a massive joint operation dubbed Project E-Pirate — involving Mounties, municipal cops, the B.C. Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (Fintrac), B.C. Lottery Corp., and others.
After months of intensive surveillance and sleuthing, it ended spectacularly with coordinated raids on homes, two illegal casinos, a travel firm, and the main target, Silver International, an unregistered money service business.
Police crowed about seizing $4.8 million in cash, ledgers, casino chips, credit card skimmers, counterfeit IDs, weapons, and more.
