In one case, a man and woman opened a bank account at the Bank of Nova Scotia in 1997. During the following weeks, counterfeit U.S. cheques were deposited into the account. Cheques were written to a number of people and companies using the money. The woman fled back to Sri Lanka, but the man remained in Toronto and has been identified as being involved in the smuggling of migrants to Canada from Sri Lanka, the report says. Some of the money drawn on the account was diverted to a downtown Toronto jewellry company.
Investigation is presently ongoing with regards to the frauds, alien smuggling and money laundering.
Despite the volume of crime being committed by the gangs, police are having difficulty making arrests because witnesses are afraid to testify. One gang circulated a Tamil-language flyer offering a reward to anyone who helped them find Crown witnesses. Even when gang members are convicted, they are not being deported. The Federal Court of Canada has ruled that Tamil militants should be deported even if they might be tortured upon their return, but the matter is now before the Supreme Court of Canada, which will have the final say. The February 1998 report was filed as evidence against Rasa, who admitted he was a VVT gang member but denied the group was part of the Tamil Tigers network.