SASKATOON – Three people accused of money laundering and trafficking drugs in a sophisticated organized crime operation want a jury trial, court heard Monday.
Brothers 33-year-old Jae Sung Lee and Jaeho Lee appeared in person in Saskatoon Provincial Court, and their co-accused, 33-year-old Jessica Tran, appeared by telephone.
Lawyers Brian Pfefferle, Thomas Hyne, and Zachary Carter are representing the accused. Crown Carleen Ready and Stacey Cameron are prosecuting the case.
Judge Vanessa Monar Enweani confirmed that preliminary hearing dates have been set for Aug. 23 and 24. Judge Monar Enweani issued a ban on the publication of evidence from the July 24 court proceedings to protect the three accused's right to a fair trial.
The trio were arrested in January after the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) Crime Reduction Team finished a lengthy investigation into organized crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering in what police described as a sophisticated organized crime operation.
SPS say that they started their investigation in October 2021 after learning about a large-scale operation where cocaine and methamphetamine were being trafficked.
About 15 months later, the SPS Crime Reduction Team, along with the Criminal Investigations Division and Tactical Support Unit, raided four properties. They seized a $700,000 house in the 500 block of Hamm Cres., about $79,000 cash, a Mercedes-Benz, an Acura ILX, A Nissan Rogue, jewelry, financial documents, and paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking.
The three were charged with operating as a criminal organization, possession of the proceeds of crime, trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, and conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance.
The charges against the accused haven’t been tested in court.
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