Mission – A Hells Angel who was reportedly “annoyed” when a drug lab on property he co-owned led to a civil forfeiture action has nevertheless agreed to give up his entire interest in the industrial building.
Under a consent order filed in B.C. Supreme Court, the director of civil forfeiture received net proceeds of approximately $23,000 from the sale of 7191 Horne St. in Mission. The property recently sold for approximately $229,000, most of which went to the mortgage holder. Haney Hells Angel Justino Pace is among the defendants named in the order.
In September 2014, a fire at the building led Mission RCMP to investigate and bust one of the largest drug labs in B.C. history. Inside, officers found volatile precursor chemicals that can be used to manufacture synthetic drugs. RCMP drug lab teams in hazmat suits carefully dismantled the lab, also recovering significant quantities of MDMA, ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine.
Upon completion of their criminal investigation, Mission RCMP referred the file to B.C.’s Civil Forfeiture Office (CFO). The 10-year-old office works to undermine the profit motive behind unlawful activity by taking away tools and proceeds of that activity, and the vast majority of cases the CFO pursues have links to drug, gang and organized crime.
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Morris –
“Our civil forfeiture program has always taken drug-lab cases seriously, and the public safety value of doing so has never been greater, when you consider how prevalent fentanyl is among street drugs today. This particular forfeiture is noteworthy for the sheer volume of volatile chemicals involved, which put both the public and first responders in great danger.”
Quick Facts:
- Of more than 2,600 forfeitures since the CFO began operating 10 years ago, nearly 2,000 have gone uncontested.
- Forfeiture proceeds to date total approximately $66 million.
- In turn, the CFO has returned $26.1 million in grants to support anti-gang outreach to youth, prevention of violence against vulnerable women and other crime prevention projects.
Learn More:
B.C.’s Civil Forfeiture Office: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/civil-forfeiture-office
Annual lists of civil forfeiture grant recipients: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/crime-prevention/community-crime-prevention/grants
