Originally Syndicated on October 11, 2007 @ 11:56 pm
I am not saying that Dave Basi, Bobby Virk, or Aneal Basi are crooks. Never have said that. Never will say that until the day these men appear before a Judge in a court of law and are convicted. No pre-trial convictions allowed on this web-site. No pre-trial verdicts of Not Guilty either. OK?
All I’m saying now is: What if?
What if Basi, Virk, or Basi really are crooks? What if Dave Basi has been in league with organized crime? What if Dave Basi has his own team of “Basi Boys”? It could be true. What if it’s true? There is that possibility.
The RCMP and the Crown lawyers must have felt convinced of wrongdoing when they laid those charges against Basi, Virk, Basi. Did they seriously expect these 3 men to turn into angels? Or what? What did they expect?
What are the Crown, the lawyers, the police, the government playing at? The Canadian people have been watching and waiting almost 4 years. Isn’t it important to move ahead on this case? Extremely important? Is this twilight zone fair to anybody except those in government who — if wrongdoing occurred — might look responsible? Just saying.
Because in today’s Vancouver Sun there’s an Ian Mulgrew story about a resident of North Vancouver who has practised the black arts on our province for 5 years before it could safely be said right out loud that Omid Tahvili is a crime boss.
For 5 years, Omid Tahvili too enjoyed the special protection of “innocent until proven guilty”. For 5 dangerous years, Omid Tahvili played havoc with the lives of other people.
Mulgrew describes the workaday schedule of a crime boss: drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud, bilking seniors of their savings, robbery, torture, fencing stolen cars, kidnapping.
“But as with so many of the upper-echelon criminals in the Lower Mainland, Tahvili managed to thumb his nose at the law until he was arrested in 2005 on these multiple counts.” Huh? I looked twice, three times, at that comment. Upper-echelon criminals? Lower Mainland? Thumbing their noses at the law?
It all sounds terribly familiar.
Read the story at – http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/columnists/story.html?id=268bbc77-5753-4717-b0e1-7bd14309bd76&p=2
Part 2-
NORTH SHORE – Prosecutors have finally managed to convict a North Shore-based Persian organized-crime kingpin involved in trafficking drugs, laundering money and bilking seniors across the continent.
After lengthy proceedings in New Westminster involving charges of kidnapping and torture, Omid Tahvili now faces lengthy imprisonment and extradition to the U.S.
Tahvili, who arrived from Iran in 1994, came to the attention of authorities after he and his brother-in-law were nabbed on Nov. 30, 2000, with three kilograms of cocaine.
By 2003, at an immigration detention hearing, the RCMP’s three-person Integrated Persian Intelligence Section identified Tahvili’s group as one of the main outfits operating from within the province’s Iranian community.
But, as with so many of the upper-echelon criminals in the Lower Mainland, Tahvili managed to thumb his nose at the law until he was arrested in 2005 on these multiple counts. {Snip} …
A 37-year-old married man with two kids, who seemingly operated luxury car-rental firms and a detailing company, Tahvili did not take the stand for good reason. The prosecution would have shown him for what he was — a long-time, big-time hoodlum.
His bust in 2000 was part of a joint Vancouver police-RCMP investigation targeting mid-level drug traffickers who supplied street-level dealers.
The undercover sweep, which resulted in 39 charges against nine people, also netted eight kilos of opium, half a kilo of methamphetamine and 113 grams of Ecstasy. But Tahvili convinced the judge in that case it wasn’t his dope, and his brother-in-law copped a plea.
According to police intelligence put before an Immigration Board detention hearing in 2003, Tahvili’s gang numbered between 20 and 30 Persian ex-pats and others, including a known contract killer.
They were said to be fencing stolen autos, trafficking in heroin, opium and crystal meth as well as engaging in fraud and robbery.
By July of 2004, Tahvili’s involvement in organized crime spurred the federal government to begin deportation proceedings against him. But Ottawa halted them after these charges were laid the following year and Tahvili imprisoned to await trial.
In this case, Tahvili and brother-in-law Alvin Royhit Pal were charged with kidnapping a Surrey man in an effort to recover $350,000 of the group’s drug money that went missing from Purolator Courier’s Richmond warehouse.
Pal, who pleaded guilty in the 2000 cocaine bust and served 11 months, was on parole at the time of the kidnapping.
He was acquitted because the judge wasn’t sure the victim fingered the right man.
Evidence showed that in tracking the missing money, Tahvili learned a suspected courier employee had quit and returned to Vietnam.
On June 20, 2005, Tahvili kidnapped the man’s brother-in-law in an attempt to wring from him information about the missing cash.
That man’s identity is protected by court order because he knew nothing about the missing money and, in the course of the ordeal, he was sexually assaulted.
The man testified that two men arrived at his home in a Porsche 911 looking to test-drive a used Mercedes he was selling.
He got in the car with one. {Snip … ugh!}
During the investigation, Toronto police confiscated $109,000 in cash found inside a silver BMW-X5 in North York with one of the gang’s eastern members. In Richmond, the RCMP seized another package containing $200,000 from Purolator.
In the RCMP’s interview with Tahvili after his arrest, Sgt. Al Proulx described him as the “ringleader, kingpin, the top dog of laundering money. You’re the boss.”
In May, Tahvili, his other brother-in-law, Reginald Sanjay Pal, and Derrick Joseph Squires were ordered extradited to the U.S. to face charges for running a global telemarketing fraud that targeted vulnerable, elderly Americans.
Under the scheme, between March 1999 and May 2002, telemarketers called people telling them they had won a lottery or windfall through a little-known British investment program.
Before they could collect their cash, however, they had to remit certain “fees” to cover taxes, currency conversion costs and similar supposedly incidental expenses.
As the boss, Tahvili allegedly provided financing for the shell companies behind the scam, while his supposed second-in-command Pal, closed “sales” and dealt with the credit-card processing firm.
Both the FBI and RCMP were involved in that investigation, which uncovered more than $3 million US in losses.
There is little question nailing Tahvili is a significant event, and the investigators deserve kudos.
Still, Tahvili was on police radar the moment he was arrested in that Nov. 2000 swoop. Yet he continued on his merry way, increasing in stature as a crime boss, for another half decade.
His tenure as a North Vancouver, Persian Tony Soprano is testament to the woeful lack of resources this province devotes to fighting organized crime.
Part 3
Crime boss was involved in trafficking drugs, laundering money and bilking seniors across the continent
That man’s identity is protected by court order because he knew nothing about the missing money and, in the course of the ordeal, he was sexually assaulted.
The man testified that two men arrived at his home in a Porsche 911 looking to test-drive a used Mercedes he was selling.
He got in the car with one.
During the test drive, the would-be buyer pulled into a construction site, the victim testified, and Tahvili was waiting in a tony Infiniti SUV armed with what appeared to be a handgun.
The man said he was blindfolded and taken to a location where he was stripped, humiliated and brutally interrogated.
Police think the site was Platinum Touch Auto Detailing in the 1600-block of West Fifth Ave., Vancouver, a firm once owned by Tahvili’s wife, Pamela Pal, and then by a close associate.
Eventually the victim was released after several terrifying hours in which his family was threatened with rape and death, he thought he was going to be shot, the edge of a razor blade was run down his spine and he feared he would be sodomized.
During the investigation, Toronto police confiscated $109,000 in cash found inside a silver BMW-X5 in North York with one of the gang’s eastern members. In Richmond, the RCMP seized another package containing $200,000 from Purolator.
In the RCMP’s interview with Tahvili after his arrest, Sgt. Al Proulx described him as the “ringleader, kingpin, the top dog of laundering money. You’re the boss.”
In May, Tahvili, his other brother-in-law, Reginald Sanjay Pal, and Derrick Joseph Squires were ordered extradited to the U.S. to face charges for running a global telemarketing fraud that targeted vulnerable, elderly Americans.
Under the scheme, between March 1999 and May 2002, telemarketers called people telling them they had won a lottery or windfall through a little-known British investment program.
Before they could collect their cash, however, they had to remit certain “fees” to cover taxes, currency conversion costs and similar supposedly incidental expenses.
As the boss, Tahvili allegedly provided financing for the shell companies behind the scam, while his supposed second-in-command Pal, closed “sales” and dealt with the credit-card processing firm.
Both the FBI and RCMP were involved in that investigation, which uncovered more than $3 million US in losses.
There is little question nailing Tahvili is a significant event, and the investigators deserve kudos.
Still, Tahvili was on police radar the moment he was arrested in that Nov. 2000 swoop. Yet he continued on his merry way, increasing in stature as a crime boss, for another half decade.
His tenure as a North Vancouver, Persian Tony Soprano is testament to the woeful lack of resources this province devotes to fighting organized crime.
I would ask why has it taken more than 4 years for anything to happen?? The case you posted took less than two years!
And WHAT IF THE POLICE, THE CROWN AND THE GOVERNMENT HAVE targetted the small fish for the sake of protecting the big fish?
You only have to read the articles you posted that spoke about Collins, Clark, et al….
Before you start blaming the police, why do you not look at the judicial system under which they must work. Why are the courts run by the Lawyers? Why can a defence lawyer ask and get adjourments when ever they want them? Simply because the longer the delays, the harder it is for the witnesses. And why do judges allow defence lawyers to badger, intimidate, and actually call witnesses liars? If you should take the time to sit and listen to a criminal case, you will come to the conclusion the witness is the perpetrator, and the accused wears a “hallo”. The only thing wrong with our system is the fact there is nothing left in it that resembles “justice”, it is simply a farce due entirely to incompetent judges who are no longer interested in “innocent or guilty” but must ensure total liberty to defence lawyers while ensuring that Prosecuting lawyers follow strict codes. so, be carefull when you shoot the “messenger”?
Damn right. We ought at very least be asking those questions!
I’ve tried to approach this delicate subject by posting the occasional article (such as this one) about identified, convicted members of organized crime operating in our midst. Because that is the background against which all B.C. stories are now set.
The biggest “industry” in our province — the drug trade — goes unmentioned, unchallenged. The breeding ground for crime and corruption: unchallenged.
And no matter how often journalists like Gary Mason and Keith Baldrey may try to shrug it off, that 29 December 2003 statement by RCMP Sgt John Ward still resonates with me: where he said nobody should be surprised to find that organized crime had crept into ALL levels of society and had, since 2001, reached critical mass.
He was speaking only 24 hours after the police had made their historic raid on a parliamentary precinct — an unheard-of police action which had never happened before in Canadian history.
Was Sgt Ward referring to organized crime within the B.C. Legislature? Is the government itself infiltrated by crooks? Is the province being governed by crooks?
It’s against that background of a tremendous public need to know … that British Columbia and Canada have been “served” by a media in contortions over how and why they need not mention this topic, should not let the people know.
* It’s a B.C. affair, the big eastern journalists say
* It’s just crazy B.C. politics, they say
* Innocent until proven guilty, they say
* Can’t discuss what’s before the courts, they say
* We might be sued for libel, they say
* And after covering up the story for almost 4 years, “Nobody’s interested,” they say.
Wrong, wrong, OK, wrong, not if we’re careful, and wrong.
We CAN discuss the B.C. Rail Case. We CAN speculate. We CAN work out the dubious connections. We CAN ASK QUESTIONS. And we MUST ask questions … and insist upon answers.
Sorry for the caps but golly, Anon 10:42, I salute you for what you’ve just said. It just brought all these thoughts pouring out.
Thanks.
“Before you start blaming the police, why do you not look at the judicial system under which they must work.” Says Joey.
I can’t believe you’re talking to me, Joey.
Show me where I have ever “blamed the police” or tried to “shoot the messenger”.
How many times do I have to repeat that this web-site is here to provide information, not to assign blame.
We’ve done a lot of critical analysis of the court system. Look at the work Robin Mathews has done for us, for a good start.
Have a look at some of the 380 offerings on this web-site. Then, I hope you’ll come back with a better idea of what The Legislature Raids is doing.
Mary, please accept my apology. I was not referring to you, and am sorry it sounded that way. I was refr\erring to globetroter and others who seem to see any type of enforcement personnel as, inefficient, irresponsible and just incompetent, with no mention of the system they have to work under. Your coverage and others who are working with you in your attempt to keep the people of this province abreast of what is happening with the BasiVirkBasi, B.C.Rail, and other “secret’ Government actions is awsome and must be commended. I do hope and pray you will continue your efforst along with those who are helping you. I just wish I was in a position to attend those Court dates. Again, my intention and comments were not directed to you. I am sorry if it sounded like that.
What a difference a day makes!
Many thanks, Joey … sorry I misunderstood your meaning.
It’s good to know that we’re heading in the same direction, on this subject.
I keep getting deja deja deja deja vu when I hear myself saying this once again … but … there’s another Supreme Court pre-trial hearing date coming up on Oct. 26.
Maybe then we’ll know the trial date. Think so?
Best wishes.
This article really gets me wondering which names were on that list Erik Bornman passed on to Mark Marissen for positions with the Paul Martin government, besides Basi and Virk. Was there anyone else that might be compromised by shady connections? What about Basi cousin Jasmohan S. Baines? Basi tried, unsuccessfully, to get him a position with the BC provincial government. Could his name be on the federal list? Is there any way to find out?
In other words, Anonymous 10:57, ORGANIZED CRIME, eh?
Billions and billions of $$s traded annually and yet that “industry” is never explained in the public interest.
When you buy a loaf of bread or a tankful of gasoline, how much of it ends up in the pockets of crooks? We never see analyses like that in the “Business Section” of the big daily newspapers.
What’s the cost of repairing broken lives caused by organized crime?
As for “white collar crimes” or, the area where crime and corporations meet, blend, and grow stronger …
That’s what makes people so disgusted with Big Media.
Funny you should say that, because I too “often wonder how some people sleep at night, knowing what they know”.
Behind the scenes, here at this web-site, I hear some things that make me wonder if they sleep at all.
No matter how good they think their “insulation from Basi Virk Basi” might be, it’s gotta break down sooner or later.
Even if their only thought is for themselves, they must surely realize that it’s a very close-run thing to ensure secrecy on an issue which affects so many citizens.
Sometimes I try to get a look at their eyes. Sometimes “they” do look frantic.
Good.
THE PRESS SHOULD INVESTIGATE AND RESEARCH THERE STORIES INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO WHAT THE POLICE HAVE TO SAY, WE ARE AWARE HOW THE POLICE LIE, PERFECT EXAMPLE YVR TASER INCIDENT, THEY ALWAYS MAKE PEOPLE LOOK BIGGER THEN THEY ARE, AND STRETCH THE TRUTH ALL THE TIME.
WHERE IS OMID?
THE SYSTEM LET HIM ESCAPE, LOL
IS HE REALLY GUILTY OR WAS IT A SET UP?
THE LARGEST ORGANIZED CRIME IS OUR GANG SQUAD(IGTF),THROUGH THREATS, HARASSMENT, AND OTHER MEANS THINK THEY ARE WINNING THE GANG WAR THEY STARTED, THEY ARE THE MOST CORRUPT BUNCH OF INDIVIDUALS, NOT ALL BUT A WHOLE BUNCH.
THEY DON’T WANT TO TAKE THE GUNS AND DRUGS OFF THE STREETS A CLOSE SOURCE TELLS ME THAT “ITS BECAUSE IT HELPS OUR ECONOMY” TO SELL DRUGS, GUNS, WEAPONS ETC. AND HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSE TO TAKE TAXPAYERS MONEY, IF THERE WAS NO CRIME, WHAT WOULD THEY DO, HOW WOULD THEY AFFORD THERE FIVE DOLLAR LATTES,
THE POLICE IS JUST AS CORRUPT, NO DIFFERENT THEN A GANGSTER, FOLLOW THE GANG SQUAD AROUND UNDERCOVER, U WILL SEE WHAT I AM SAYING IS TRUE
Mehran Muslimi who is the partner of omid tahvili is living in Marbella. He is involved in drug trafficking, pyramid scheme, telemarketing fraud, prostitution and other criminal activities. The FBI believes that Omid is also hiding is Spain. search google for Mehran Muslimi scam for more information.