After being put on hold due to the provincial election, the inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia resumed on Oct. 26. Witnesses have testified about high rollers with large sacks of cash containing up to $300,000, and the influx of organized crime to the Richmond area beginning in 2004.
Muriel Labine, a former Great Canadian Gaming (GCG) employee who worked at the River Rock Casino in Richmond from 1992 to 2000, testified on Nov. 3 that in 1997, the B.C. government raised betting limits from $25 to $500 per hand and introduced baccarat. Labine said large cash transactions became more frequent, causing her and fellow employees to warn, “’This is loan sharking, this is money laundering.’ But not once did I see steps to stop this.”
