The Drug Enforcement Administration alleged that one of them Harjeet Mann (50), a Canadian national residing in Bakersfield, California, was leader of a cocaine smuggling operation that transported large quantities of cocaine in semi-tractor trailers to Canada for distribution to Asian gang members in the Toronto area.
Sukhraj Dhaliwal (39) of Bakersfield and Gurmeet Bisla (29) of Livingston have been charged for conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute a large quantity of cocaine.
Mann and Dhaliwal were convicted of attempting to possess with intent to distribute 70 kilograms of cocaine following their delivery of approximately $ 843,000 in cash to an undercover narcotics agent.
The jury verdict in this regard was delivered by Senior United States District Judge Oliver W Wanger last week.
He also ordered forfeiture of the seized $ 1,011,068 US currency that represented proceeds or monies used to facilitate drug trafficking.
In addition, $ 52,669 seized from Mann's bank accounts was previously forfeited administratively by the Drug Enforcement Administration
The DEA said that Bisla, a drug transporter for Mann, was stopped in Sheldon, Illinois while carrying $169,910 of drug proceeds in a semi-tractor trailer, which he took without permission from NAV Trucking, a small company in Livingston.
The investigation culminated with the seizure of approximately $ 843,000 currency that Mann, his money courier Dhaliwal, and a co-defendant Jasdev Singh delivered to an undercover agent who had negotiated for the purchase of 70 kilograms of cocaine.
Singh, 34, of Bakersfield, entered a guilty plea to the drug conspiracy before the start of trial.
During negotiations between Mann, Singh and the undercover agent, Mann indicated that during the past five years he had shipped approximately 36,000 kilograms of cocaine from Bakersfield to Canada.
In Canada, Mann's customers "cut" the product for street sales. Mann claimed, "I'm the biggest there is." He also offered to sell the undercover agent 50 kilogram buckets of ephedrine (a precursor chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine) for $ 33,000 a bucket and told the undercover agent he smuggled the ephedrine into the US from his native country of India.
The case has received extensive coverage in the Asian and Canadian press, according to which Mann and Singh are natives of Punjab's village of Gureh, and Dhaliwal, from the neighbouring village of Chimna, are considered modern day Robin Hoods in their villages stemming from their philanthropy.
Mann, Dhaliwal and Bisla are scheduled to appear for sentencing before District Judge Wanger on September 14, 2009. Singh is scheduled to appear for sentencing on Aug 24, 2009.
