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B.C. has been the victim of organized crime for more than a decade and at least two of our governments have known about money laundering operations. It is time for action on behalf of British Columbians.

In recent months, we have seen revelations that money laundering is extensive and pervasive in B.C. Last year, the G7’s Financial Action Task Force, which identifies threats to international order, reported that $1 billion a year is funnelled through B.C. casinos. The provincial government admitted it was not fully aware of what had been going on.

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Multiple whistleblowers have come forward to expose wrongdoing and we have learned that the initial estimates of money laundering were staggeringly low. Indeed, the attorney general announced in January that as much as $2 billion of dirty money flowed through B.C.’s casinos and housing market in a single year. We know now that this issue is directly tied to the opioid crisis, which has taken so many lives. This underground industry is directly linked to the more than 1,400 people who died due to opioid overdoses in B.C. last year. Money laundering has also affected our housing market, contributing to skyrocketing housing prices.