Following a police operation involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Toronto, and officers from the Police Service of the City of Montreal, Victor Déjean, 58, Canadian businessman of Haitian origin (residing in Toronto) and his companion Merlande Dont, 42 (living in Montreal), have been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to import drugs from Haiti to Canada. They are also accused of having recruited and used Canadian smugglers (mules), to transport drugs.

The investigation, conducted by the Division of Federal and Airport Surveys (SEFA), led to the arrest of several suspects by the Canada Border Services Agency at Pierre Elliott Trudeau for importing cocaine. Links have been established between smugglers and Déjean Victor and his partner. A total of 4kg of cocaine were seized. Note that the National Police of Haiti (PNH) also contributed to the investigation.

Déjean Victor, well known to the Haitian community in Montreal as the owner of Pavillon Marquette but also Cristina complex, which includes a banquet center and a theater and his companion Merlande, suspected to be his associate, face charges of conspiracy and importation of cocaine. Merlande Dont appeared Friday, May 1 at the courthouse in Montreal.

Recall that Déjean Victor was previously arrested with his brother Abel, 30 December 2009 for the same reasons in Port-au-Prince airport, while the two men were suspected of wanting to enter Canada 2.35 kg of cocaine. They were incarcerated in the prison of Port-au-Prince awaiting judgment.

Following the earthquake of January 2010, the prison was heavily damaged favoring the escape of hundreds of prisoners whose Déjean Victor who managed to return home aboard an aircraft responsible to repatriate Canadian nationals.

At that time the Haitian authorities, overwhelmed by the deadly consequences of the earthquake, had no issued any international arrest warrant and consequently no extradition request against Déjean Victor who had been living freely in Canada.

TB/ HaitiLibre