An Okanagan resident is facing court time after the province launched an extensive civil forfeiture lawsuit this month.
Filed in B.C. Supreme Court, the province’s Director of Civil Forfeiture is seeking to seize six properties located in Kelowna and Vernon, alleging that Kulwant Singh Bal “is a member of a criminal organization, the full particulars of which are not known to the plaintiff.”
The lawsuit — which also lists Catherine Angela Bal, who is Kulwant’s spouse, Darshan Kaur Bal and Jaskaran Singh Sidhu as defendants — is also asking for 13 bank accounts and all associated funds to be turned over to the province.
The properties include a used-car lot on Highway 97 in Kelowna, Kulwant Bal’s residence in Vernon, three condos and an acreage. The combined total of all six properties, according to B.C. Assessment, is $6.12 million.
The lawsuit says Kulwant Bal is linked to five of the six properties, with one being owned by Darshan Bal.
According to court documents, Kelowna RCMP began investigating Sidhu for fraud in January 2021 while being employed at Valley First Credit Union in West Kelowna.
The investigation began following a report from Valley First’s manager of corporate security.
The lawsuit says Kulwant Bal provided Sidhu with falsified documents which allowed Bal to be approved for mortgages. The bank funds were then used to purchase property, with $47,150 in cash being deposited in Sidhu’s bank account between February and October of 2020.
Also in 2021, Lloydminster RCMP initiated a local dial-a-dope investigation, which led them to Kulwant Bal as the supplier.
A Vancouver Sun story says Kulwant Bal has previously been associated with people in both the Wolfpack gang alliance and the Hells Angels.
Kulwant Bal also owns the used car lot, Empire Motors, on Highway 97 North in Kelowna.
“On Dec. 15, 2021, an undercover police officer attended (Empire Motors) and purchased 485.6 grams of cocaine from K. Bal,” reads the lawsuit.
It also says the following were bought from KulwantBal:
- 492.9 grams of cocaine on Jan. 19, 2022
- 501.1 grams of cocaine from an associate (Gary) on March 2, 2022
- 989.3 grams of meth from the same associate on March 2, 2022
- 252 grams of cocaine from the same associate on April 6, 2022
And on May 6, 2022, Kulwant Bal agreed to launder $25,000 for the undercover officer.
“On June 1, 2022, K. Bal was arrested for possession for the purpose of trafficking and trafficking a controlled substance,” reads the lawsuit.
That same day, search warrants were executed at Empire Motors, his home and another property.
Below are some of the items that the lawsuit says were seized by police:
- $15,640 in Canadian currency in nine envelopes
- $5,000 in Canadian currency in two envelopes
- $35,000 in currency
- $10,300 in counterfeit American currency
- Records of transactions, including sales, collections and debts
- Two stun guns, one of which was disguised as a cellphone
- Several cellphones
- A prohibited firearm with the serial number removed
- 111 grams of cocaine
- 189.7 grams of anabolic steroid powder
- Forty-four 10-ounce silver bars
- Money counting machine
- Digital weigh scale
More information about the RCMP drug bust in Lloydminster is available online.
None of the allegations have been proven.