New charges laid in alleged Saskatchewan drug smuggling case

Published: March 30, 2012 9:00 AM  Morning Star

Ongoing police activities in Saskatchewan have led to charges for three North Okanagan residents. The Regina Integrated Drug Unit launched a large-scale international drug smuggling investigation, known as Project FARIL, last year.  “It is not usual with large scale investigations involving many people, that other networks of people that are involved in criminal activity are identified and then after investigation charged under the Criminal Code or Controlled Drugs and Substances Act,” said Cpl. Rob King, Saskatchewan RCMP spokesperson. Six individuals have been charged as a result of the police’s latest activities. Among them are: Brock Ernest Palfrey, 25, of Coldstream has been charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine and conspiracy to commit extortion. Shae Marjorie Jager, 18, of Vernon, has been charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine and conspiracy to commit extortion. Dion Gerald Clowry, 33, of Lumby, has been charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Palfrey is presently in jail, while Jager and Clowry were scheduled to appear in Regina court Thursday. “All persons have been charged in relation to a drug trafficking organization in Saskatchewan that stretched as far away as Vernon, B.C.,” said King. In April 2011, the Regina Integrated Drug Unit entered into a multi-agency partnership to investigate the importation of large quantities of controlled drugs allegedly being moved into Canada and exported to the U.S. through unmanned border crossings in southern Saskatchewan. As part of the initial investigation, searches were conducted at residences at Silver Star and Coldstream in October 2011. At the time, Palfrey was arrested and charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to export ecstasy while William Bruce Larsen, 50, of Coldstream, was charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to export ecstasy. A few weeks later in October 2011, Palfrey was charged with importation of cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, conspiracy to import cocaine and participating in a criminal organization. Larsen was charged with importation of cocaine and possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine. Arrested at the time was Troy Ernest Swanson, 25, of Coldstream, and he was charged with importation of cocaine, possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, participating in a criminal organization and conspiracy to import cocaine.