Two brothers associated with a drug-dealing operation based out of a Coquitlam apartment were convicted of trafficking last week in provincial court.
Dusan and Marko Stevovic were found guilty of trafficking heroin, cocaine and marijuana after Judge Thomas Woods rejected the pair's claims that they only occasionally visited the property and were not involved in any illegal activity.
During the trial, the court heard that the apartment at 511 Rochester St., which was owned by the defendants' mother, was a mid-level drug dealing operation. Police had been watching the property in November and December 2008.
After a search warrant was executed, Coquitlam RCMP found tens of thousands of dollars worth of drugs, $7,000 in cash, a sword, bullets, a banana clip for an assault rifle, a 6 mm pellet gun and drug-dealing paraphernalia such as scales and baggies.
But while the accused acknowledged the activities that were taking place and consumed drugs in the apartment, they said they were not in control and not involved in the drug dealing.
Another accused, Jason Kirupakaran, said he and another man, Jared Glab, were the sole operators of the drug ring and that the brothers did not participate.
The testimony was rejected by Thomas, who said Kirupakaran's story was inconsistent with independent evidence, including the surveillance conducted by police. The judge said the witnesses' claims were merely an attempt to help exonerate the brothers.
Police also found personal belongings such as a drivers' license, two traffic tickets as well as receipts addressed to the brothers when they searched the property.
"Everything about the subject apartment that is revealed in the material facts cried out that it was a base or hub or 'stash house' for drug trafficking," he wrote in his reasons for judgement. "As periodic presence there, it is inconceivable that Dusan and Marko would not have seen what was there to be seen."
