On December 8, 1981, [various parties] met in Vancouver to put into motion a scheme designed to bring into Canada large quantities of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. This conspiracy, which was to last over a period of several months, would involve people moving in and out and playing various roles at different levels and on different occasions. Some of the players would never get to know each other - like ships passing each other in the night they would go about their business without knowing what the other was doing. At times, the conspiracy would resemble a Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera, with a cast of characters which included Paul, the Jamaican politician, "Super-Cool", the Jamaican connection, and Margaret, the lady who body-packed money to Jamaica. It has an airplane crashing on take-off, and island hopping in the Bahamas in search of aircraft fuel. At other times it would involve hair-raising flying tactics, nerves of steel, pay offs to corrupt customs officials, concealed guns, murderous threats and a million dollar drug transaction.
R. v. Ertel
1986 CarswellOnt 2746
Ontario District Court