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Indo-Canadian gangs get a rough ride in B.C.
New integrated task force working well to combat gang-related crime
Kim BolanVancouver Sun
Friday, July 21, 2006
Attorney-General Wally Oppal says a series of successful prosecutions in Indo-Canadian gang cases in recent months is proof of the benefit of an integrated system in which police and prosecutors work more closely together.
Oppal said the convictions in several cases should send a message to the Indo-Canadian community that the judicial system is doing what it can to combat the gang problem that has plagued the community over the last decade.
"There is no question that the community has been concerned about the effectiveness of police and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system to respond to these problems," Oppal said.
Oppal was commenting Thursday after the latest conviction of two prominent gangsters in a violent 2005 drug-related kidnapping.
Harpreet Singh Narwal and Randy Nesh Naicker were found guilty July 6 by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ian Bruce Josephson and will be sentenced in New Westminster on Tuesday.
A confession to police by co-accused Jethinder Singh (Roman) Narwal came back to haunt Narwal and Naicker.
Roman Narwal, who is not related to Harpreet, admitted to a Surrey RCMP officer that the trio grabbed an associate named Happy Singh in January 2005 because they thought he had knowledge of the murders of two other gang members earlier that month and of $400,000 worth of missing marijuana.
Roman Narwal was convicted earlier this year in the Singh kidnapping, as well as in two other drug-related abductions last year. He is appealing the 17-year sentence, which included five years for the Singh case.
Josephson allowed Roman's statement into evidence against Narwal and Naicker after Roman refused to take the stand last month and testify for the Crown at the trial of his two former associates. He is now facing an additional contempt of court charge.
Crown lawyer Mike Huot, with the organized crime unit, was a prosecutor on both the Roman Narwal and the more recent kidnapping trial.
He said the Crown will ask for sentence of about five years on Tuesday for both Naicker and Narwal.
"We are obviously pleased with the result," Huot said.
Surrey RCMP Cpl. Roger Morrow said the series of convictions in high-profile gang cases go a long way to combat the glamorization of gangs and drugs on television.
"It is not the Hollywood image," he said. "The judicial system is going to catch up with you and you are not going to like the ride we provide you."
Two related kidnapping trials, involving other accused, are due to begin in the coming months.
There have been other recent high-profile convictions as well.
On July 2, a jury found Gulberg Singh (Bergi) Aulakh guilty of kidnapping and assault in the abduction of Sukhjit Singh Basi in February 2003. He will be sentenced in the fall.
Aulakh's conviction follows two guilty pleas last fall in the same case by gangster twins Peter and Mike Adiwal. Peter was sentenced to seven years in jail. Mike got a total sentence of six years, but has already been released because of the credit he got for time served while awaiting trial.
Oppal said a new Integrated Gang Task Force is working well from the police perspective in tackling gang cases, with the prosecutions being handled by the organized crime unit.
"My philosophy is to be more aggressive. We have directly indicted people. We are doing all kinds of things like that," Oppal said.
"I think we have a very good system. I think we are moving in the right direction."
kbolan@png.canwest.com
Indo-Canadian gangs get a rough ride in B.C.
New integrated task force working well to combat gang-related crime
Kim BolanVancouver Sun
Friday, July 21, 2006
Attorney-General Wally Oppal says a series of successful prosecutions in Indo-Canadian gang cases in recent months is proof of the benefit of an integrated system in which police and prosecutors work more closely together.
Oppal said the convictions in several cases should send a message to the Indo-Canadian community that the judicial system is doing what it can to combat the gang problem that has plagued the community over the last decade.
"There is no question that the community has been concerned about the effectiveness of police and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system to respond to these problems," Oppal said.
Oppal was commenting Thursday after the latest conviction of two prominent gangsters in a violent 2005 drug-related kidnapping.
Harpreet Singh Narwal and Randy Nesh Naicker were found guilty July 6 by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Ian Bruce Josephson and will be sentenced in New Westminster on Tuesday.
A confession to police by co-accused Jethinder Singh (Roman) Narwal came back to haunt Narwal and Naicker.
Roman Narwal, who is not related to Harpreet, admitted to a Surrey RCMP officer that the trio grabbed an associate named Happy Singh in January 2005 because they thought he had knowledge of the murders of two other gang members earlier that month and of $400,000 worth of missing marijuana.
Roman Narwal was convicted earlier this year in the Singh kidnapping, as well as in two other drug-related abductions last year. He is appealing the 17-year sentence, which included five years for the Singh case.
Josephson allowed Roman's statement into evidence against Narwal and Naicker after Roman refused to take the stand last month and testify for the Crown at the trial of his two former associates. He is now facing an additional contempt of court charge.
Crown lawyer Mike Huot, with the organized crime unit, was a prosecutor on both the Roman Narwal and the more recent kidnapping trial.
He said the Crown will ask for sentence of about five years on Tuesday for both Naicker and Narwal.
"We are obviously pleased with the result," Huot said.
Surrey RCMP Cpl. Roger Morrow said the series of convictions in high-profile gang cases go a long way to combat the glamorization of gangs and drugs on television.
"It is not the Hollywood image," he said. "The judicial system is going to catch up with you and you are not going to like the ride we provide you."
Two related kidnapping trials, involving other accused, are due to begin in the coming months.
There have been other recent high-profile convictions as well.
On July 2, a jury found Gulberg Singh (Bergi) Aulakh guilty of kidnapping and assault in the abduction of Sukhjit Singh Basi in February 2003. He will be sentenced in the fall.
Aulakh's conviction follows two guilty pleas last fall in the same case by gangster twins Peter and Mike Adiwal. Peter was sentenced to seven years in jail. Mike got a total sentence of six years, but has already been released because of the credit he got for time served while awaiting trial.
Oppal said a new Integrated Gang Task Force is working well from the police perspective in tackling gang cases, with the prosecutions being handled by the organized crime unit.
"My philosophy is to be more aggressive. We have directly indicted people. We are doing all kinds of things like that," Oppal said.
"I think we have a very good system. I think we are moving in the right direction."
kbolan@png.canwest.com
© The Vancouver Sun 2006
