Indian held for smuggling drugs through tunnel

Four days after the arrest of three immigrants including Francis Devandra Raj on the charges of building a $1 million illegal tunnel under the American and Canadian borders and smuggling 93 pounds of marijuana into America, authorities say investigation will continue into the smugglers' networks.

More arrests are expected on both sides of the border.

Authorities are also investigating how a house on the American side of the border purchased by an Indian couple two years ago came to play a crucial role in the smuggling operation.

One of the three men, Raj, 30, according to the complaint filed with the court, is a suspected drug dealer with a criminal history of marijuana possession and immigration violations. 

Also arrested were Timothy Woo, 34 and Jonathan Valenzuela, 27. If found guilty, the men, all residents of British Columbia, and who are being held in a Tacoma jail, will each face a sentence of 10 years or more. The complaint also said that the three had even established a price list, telling one trafficker they would charge US$500 per pound of marijuana smuggled through, adding they could run loads of up to 300 pounds at a time.

It is the first illegal tunnel discovered along the US-Canada border apart from 33 discovered on the Southern border and has been under construction for over a year. The tunnel starts from Raj's house in Langley, Surrey, which was purchased by him for about US$250,000.

Describing the tunnel as sophisticated and well-built, authorities said it had adequate ventilation and light. "It is probably one of the most sophisticated tunnels we have seen in the United States," special agent Rodney Benson of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Seattle, said. The 360-feet long tunnel runs at a depth between 3-10 feet.

"The presence of a tunnel on our northern border threatens the security of both countries, whether it is used to smuggle drugs, contraband or even terrorists," US Attorney John McKay said in a press release. The tunnel will be filled with concrete soon.

Meanwhile, the authorities were looking for the owners of the abandoned house on the American side close to where the tunnel ended. Raj, and his alleged collaborators were arrested when they returned to the house after dropping off drugs, officials said.

Seattle Times said according to Whatcom County property records, the home is owned by Kusum and Raman Patel. The couple purchased the house in October 2003 but does not seem to have moved into it.

"We have been keeping a watch on the tunnel for a few months," Jess Eig, a spokesperson for the DEA in Seattle told rediff.com.  The men, residents of Surrey, British Columbia, had made several trips through the tunnel.