The Rocky Mountain Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) recently completed a 15 month cross border investigation which has resulted in multiple charges being laid against three individuals in Canada. Two significant cocaine seizures took place, the first at Coutts, Alberta on March 22, 2012, where Canada Border Services Agents seized 6 kilograms of cocaine and the second, at Great Falls, Montana on July 27th, 2011, where 10 kilos of cocaine was seized.
Abram Klassen, age 31, of Taber, Jacob Dyck, age 35, of Coaldale, and Isaak Banman, age 33, of Chihuahua, Mexico are being charged with Importing Cocaine, Possessing Cocaine for the Purposes of Trafficking and Conspiracy to Import Cocaine. Klassen and Dyck were arrested today on these charges. Banman was previously charged in London, Ontario on related charges and is currently before the courts there. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Banman on the Alberta charges.
IBET is an integrated investigative team made up of investigators from the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency, United States Border Patrol, US Homeland Security Investigations, as well as United States Customs and Border Protection. This particular investigation also included two invited participants: Taber Police Service, and the DEA.
The investigation resulted in 16 kilograms of cocaine being seized and prevented more from being imported into Canada. The enquiry is continuing, and anyone with any information about this, or any other crime, is encouraged to contact the police in his/her area, or call Crime Stoppers at 1800-222-TIPS.
