A man charged with conspiring to traffic drugs in Manitoba may plead guilty to the charge in Vancouver or return to Winnipeg to face the charge.
Omed Raqib’s lawyer Brock Martland appeared in Vancouver Provincial Court May 13 for what had been scheduled as a disposition in the case.
However, he told Judge Patricia Stark the 40-year-old Coquitlam man’ s case should move to a new date to determine if there would be a guilty plea or a return to Manitoba.
The charges against Raqib were announced in February 2023 after a year-long investigation by Winnipeg Police Service’s Organized Crime Unit into activities of a high-level Manitoba-based drug network.
A total of 13 people were charged as a result of the investigation. All but two were from Manitoba.
Police said the network allegedly oversaw a group of drug traffickers and couriers importing large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA from Ontario and British Columbia.
“The group utilized various importation methods, including commercial shipping, airline companies and highway-based drug couriers. Multi-kilogram amounts of those drugs were then distributed throughout Manitoba,” police said.
It was on Dec. 14, 2022 that search warrants were executed at:
• 10 residences in Winnipeg;
• one residence in Coquitlam;
• one residence in Niverville, Man.
• two businesses in Winnipeg; and,
• 12 vehicles in Winnipeg.
Seizures
As a result of the searches, police seized $500,000 in cash, 50 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $5 million, 20 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $2 million, a Smith & Wesson .40 calibre semi-automatic handgun with magazines and ammunition, a loaded GSG 1911 .22 calibre semi-automatic handgun and a Sig Sauer 9mm semi-automatic handgun with ammunition
In addition, 12 vehicles worth an estimated $550,000 were seized, including a 2013 BMW X3, a BMW sedan, a 2017 Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV and a 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class SUV.
The Manitoba investigation included multiple agencies such as:
• Canada Border Services Agency;
• Coquitlam RCMP;
• Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada;
• Manitoba Criminal Intelligence Centre;
• Manitoba RCMP Emergency Response Team;
• Manitoba RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime Section;
• Ontario Provincial Police (Peel Region); and,
• Vancouver Police Department’s Strike Force Unit.
