40,000 fentanyl pills seized in a Richmond apartment in Feb. 2016. Photo submitted by RCMP Oct. 3, 2017
The illegal trade of the deadly opioid fentanyl continues to flow through the Island City by Nature.
On Tuesday, RCMP announced a Richmond resident is facing numerous drug charges after his apartment was found to contain 40,000 fentanyl pills and a one-kilogram brick of methamphetamine following a search warrant execution in February 2016.
Yan Chau (Andrew) Lam, 48, has been charged with one count of conspiring to import a controlled substance, contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, one count of conspiring to possess a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, and three counts of unlawfully possessing a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, stated an RCMP news release.
Lam was charged after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the U.S Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport discovered three roller suitcases inside a refrigerated container arriving from Brazil that was in transit to the Port of Vancouver, Canada.
CBP officers discovered 130 kilograms of cocaine in the suitcases, which prompted the transnational investigation by the Waterfront Joint Forces Operation unit of the RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime section, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Canada Border Services Agency.
“These seizures would definitely have impacted the transnational organized crime networks involved,” said Supt. Cal Chrustie.
“Even more importantly, we believe that preventing these drugs from reaching our communities has undoubtedly saved countless lives,” added Chrustie.
Also charged with one count of conspiring to traffic drugs is Sok Wai (Gertrude) Cheong, 43, of Vancouver.
More people have died of illicit drug overdoses in Richmond during the first half of this year than all of last year, according to an August report by the B.C. Coroners Service.
To June 30, 15 people have died from illicit drugs in Richmond, whereas 14 died in all of 2016, indicating that the city is no longer immune from what has become the greatest public health emergency in decades.
In 2015, there were six such deaths in Richmond, resulting in one of the lowest death rates in a “health service delivery area” across the province.
From 2007 to 2015, Richmond witnessed a total of 25 illicit drug overdose deaths.
This year, 13 of 15 deaths were connected to the powerful opioid fentanyl.
Across the province, illicit drug deaths are up 88 per cent in 2017, compared to the first half of 2016 (780 to 414 deaths).
This bust is not the first connected to Richmond. Walter James McCormick, 51, was sentenced to 14 years in prison last January after pleading guilty to five charges linked to fentanyl dealing in Richmond. He was caught with 30,000 fentanyl pills worth a reported $945,000.
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