GREENWOOD: An Annapolis Valley woman charged in connection with an alleged international drug trafficking ring works for the Department of National Defence.
Darlene Margaret Richards worked in a restricted area of 14 Wing Greenwood as a civilian employee for 17 years as administrative assistant to the commanding officer of 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron, spokesman Lt.(N) Sylvain Rousseau said April 22.
The 54-year-old is charged with two counts of conspiracy to import cocaine and two counts of conspiracy to traffic cocaine, RCMP announced April 21, along with 14 other people facing a variety of related charges.
Richards, who lives in Greenwood, is still a DND employee, but not working for the commanding officer.
“Ms. Richards no longer has access to restricted areas at 14 Wing, therefore not employed in that office.” Rousseau said. “She has been assigned to other duties while the justice system process takes its course.”
Three people from the Halifax area have been charged in connection with an international drug trafficking ring that RCMP in Nova Scotia have deemed the largest seen in years: Delbert William Meister, 69, Halifax; Stephen Alexander Fleming, 33, Halifax, and Gary Christopher Meister, 60, Bedford.
The four Nova Scotians, along with Normand Joseph Pomerleau, 64, of Montreal, are accused of conspiring between Aug. 2014 and April 2015 to import and traffic cocaine from Colombia to Montreal.
Richards, Delbert and Gary Meister, along with Philipos Kollaros and Ryan James Wedding of Montreal, are accused of conspiring to import and traffic cocaine from “countries unknown into Canada” this April.
April 21, RCMP in Nova Scotia announced that a two-year drug investigation dubbed Operation Harrington had resulted in more than 40 charges against 15 people.
Investigators allege the accused were conspiring to import cocaine from South America to Nova Scotia.
“As a criminal operations officer of Nova Scotia, I can tell you it is not often that a file of this magnitude and complexity occurs,” Chief Supt. Marlene Snowman told reporters during a press conference.
She explained the investigation began in the spring of 2013, after police learned that an individual was attempting to import cocaine from South America through Nova Scotia, and then on to the Toronto and Montreal area.
Over the course of two years, investigators uncovered eight different conspiracies to traffic cocaine into Canada from numerous countries, including Antigua, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and the United States.
RCMP Deputy Commissioner Mike Cabana said the force partnered with national and international police agencies throughout the operation, including five Canadian RCMP organized crime units, as well as the U.S Drug Enforcement Agency and The Royal Bahamas Police Force.
“The magnitude of the people that would have actually worked on this file over the last two years has been enormous,” Snowman said, adding up to 100 Mounties were working on the case at any given time.
As a result, investigators say they have seized more than 200 kilograms of cocaine, as well as vehicles, firearms, cash and drug paraphernalia.
