A Kelowna business owner who is alleged to be involved in gang activity may be forced to forfeit nine properties to the provincial government.
Then, on April 25, a second claim was filed in the Supreme Court of B.C., against Bal. The suit requests that three additional properties located in Lumby that are owned by Bal as well as approximately $80,000 in Canadian and U.S. currency, be turned over to the government as it is alleged to be “proceeds and instruments of unlawful activity.”The civil lawsuits claim that Bal is a member of a criminal organization and point to charges against him for drug trafficking and fraud out of Alberta.
Sidhu allegedly used his position at the credit union to allow Bal to submit falsified documents in order to secure mortgages to purchase the properties that are now being sought by the government. Bal and his associates are now facing charges, out of Alberta, of trafficking a controlled substance and conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance.In a response to the Director of Civil Forfeiture’s first suit, Bal claims that “the circumstances of the police investigation are outside the knowledge,” and denies having involvement as the supplier to the drug trafficking operation.