Award-winning Vancouver Sun reporter covering organized crime. Author. kbolan@postmedia.com 604-219-5740 WhatsApp Now on Bluesky @kimbolan.bsky.social
Vancouver, BC
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The first in my series about the international reach of BC gangs/criminal organizations. No paywall on the stories. Thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s Journalism Fellowship, I was able to visit 6 countries to do research/interviews. vancouversun.com/feature/let…
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Liberal MP Harjit Sajjan came to the scene of this terrible mass murder tonight to show his support for the Filipino community. He grew up in this neighbourhood.
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Vancouver police executed a search warrant just after 7 pm tonight at the East Vancouver home of accused mass killer Adam Lo and his mother.
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Canadian journalist Tara Singh Hayer was assassinated 26 years ago today. To date, no one has been charged though gangsters allegedly hired by the Babbar Khalsa terrorist group were identified as suspects. Hayer had agreed to be an Air India witness. vancouversun.com/news/crime/…
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Coming soon - a new news site - OWN - Old Women’s News - to employ all the talented women journalists pushed out at the height of their careers.
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FULL STORY on accused mass killer Adam Lo's history. His brother was murdered last year. His mom attempted to take her own life: vancouversun.com/news/driver…
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Federal govt announced Friday that it may bolster security screening at Canada's ports - I first wrote about the infiltration of organized crime on the docks 10 years ago: vancouversun.com/news/staff-…
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Coun Sean Orr and Coun Pete Fry say normally the city parks dump trucks to block streets for city festivals. That didn’t happen today.
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Before I started the @VancouverSun 40 years ago today, all my jobs had been for less than a year! I never imagined I'd still be here 4 decades later! But I love being a reporter and writing about important issues in my city and province. #localnewsmatters
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Vancouver Coastal Health confirm accused mass murderer Adam Lo was "under the care of a mental health team and on extended leave in accordance with the Mental Health Act." So he had been in hospital but was out.
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Wow, a Hells Angel just drove by me and said "F--k you, you f--king ugly c-unt." Honestly he wasn't a looker himself.
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So who should the Fentanyl Czar be? I think it should be someone from BC given the majority of super labs are here. I can think of a few names.
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SCOOP from me and @loriculbert - B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton savagely attacked in prison, clinging to life vancouversun.com/news/crime/… via @VancouverSun
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I started @VancouverSun on this day 35 years ago! I'm celebrating on vacation in Europe and feel conflicted about NOT being in Vancouver for the end of #bacontrial It has been a fun ride despite all the changes in our industry and at our paper. #bestjobever #journalismmatters
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Today is the 27th anniversary of the assassination of journalist Tara Hayer - killed after exposing the Air India suspects and agreeing to be a witness in the terrorism case. I wrote this on the 20th anniversary. Shocking no one has ever been charged. vancouversun.com/news/crime/…
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SCOOP: I found a BC link to a Cambodian company alleged to be facilitating billions in money laundering: vancouversun.com/news/cambod…
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So weird. Apparently @bcferries has some issue with me! I hope everyone has a great Christmas!
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A Surrey businessman is facing both criminal charges and the potential loss of his house after a Burnaby RCMP investigation into stolen catalytic converters. vancouversun.com/news/surrey…
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Woken up at 3:02 am by caller from blocked # - "I just wanted to wake you up Kim."
Me: "Who is this?"
He: "Stop writing about us."
Me: "Don't you need to tell me who you are then?"
A pause, then: "Just wanted to wake you up" and a hang up.
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Shocking news out of Surrey - Ripudaman Singh Malik, the man acquitted in the 1985 Air India bombing, appears to have been shot to death at his office this morning. Burning car found nearby. Story to come...
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Someone who called me tonight about possible fatal shooting said I should retire because I had actually gone to bed before hearing anything!! Isn't it OK to take a night off! How can I predict in advance when something terrible will happen?
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The #Canucks won the Stanley Cup!!
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NDP MP Don Davies was the Lapu Lapu festival earlier in the day. This will not crush the Filipino spirit.
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Who would be interested in reading a local media site focusing on court and crime news, both breaking and investigative? Asking for a friend...
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So weird to see the story of BC cocaine smuggler Ryan Wedding now international in scope - 15 years after I first reported on his links to organized crime. #Sinaloacartel
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Hi Jasveer - I am a crime reporter for the Vancouver Sun so cover crime in Metro Vancouver/BC and not in Montreal. I have covered the gang conflict since 2007 - it has involved people across BC and of all ethnicities/socio-economic backgrounds over the last 15 years.
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More targeting of journalists out doing a job. People obviously don't have to agree with all news stories/journalists, but singling people out, stirring the pot, encouraging hostility towards us and in some cases preventing those in the field from working is NOT acceptable.
How I was greeted today for simply doing my job. Stay safe journos. Let’s continue to do our work! #yyj @GlobalBC @shakyblurryblue
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To all those who send me emails containing the words "good riddance" in response to fatal shootings, please stop. Families, friends, witnesses are all impacted by gang/gun violence. No one deserves to die like this, regardless of how they live.
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First in person 10k run since Turkey Trot 2019. Very fun till hamstring blew up at 8k but still managed to limp across the finish line for this cool medal!! #eastside10k
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My weekend feature for anyone who wants to know more about how hits are being done: full disclosure, the licence plate from my car stolen in July 2017 was found at the farm referenced in this the story... vancouversun.com/news/crime/…
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GoFundMe Canada just sent out a news release saying more than $2 million has been raised for victims' families and other supports after the Lapu Lapu attack.
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B.C. RCMP take down largest-ever fentanyl and meth 'super lab' - 1 charged, investigation on-going vancouversun.com/news/bc-rcm…
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1) OK went to walk the dog without my phone and came home to this disturbing voicemail: "fucking journalist, you fucking fat donut eating brainwashed cunt. You can't even construct a fucking sentence. You stupid douchebag. Where are your fucking sources from tiktok...
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I'm on a day off, but found these suspect names for the people charged in the Hardeep Nijjar murder: Karan BRAR, Kamalpreet SINGH and Karanpreet SINGH
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Congratulations to all National Newspaper Award nominees! Happy to see my Lethal Exports series nominated, which I was only able to do because of a fellowship from the BC Lieutenant Governor. #NNAs vancouversun.com/news/postme…
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Frustrating that my @LangaraJSchool students had to each pay $10 in class today to file #FOIs to the BC govt for their investigative reporting projects. How about a student exemption @jjhorgan?
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Only in BC: Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum charged with public mischief after he claimed his foot was run over by a pro-RCMP campaigner in Sept. His first appearance scheduled for Jan. 25/22.
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Six weeks on the road. Six countries with links to Canadian organized crime. Back with my first case of Covid, but madly writing stories now. Stay tuned and happy 2024!
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Thanks @cjffjc for this huge and unexpected honour!
Pleased to announce @kbolan, crime reporter with @VancouverSun, is the CJF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, in recognition of her fearless commitment to truth in the face of threats and intimidation. bit.ly/2Vgvd4x #cdnmedia #journalism
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I was first to report the night of the murder that CSIS had warned Hardeep Nijjar about threats to his life. vancouversun.com/news/crime/…
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Big news about organized crime...I wonder if there will be changes made to ensure the highest levels of organized crime are prosecuted in Canada? That doesn't happen much now.
I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border.
In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million.
Proposed tariffs will be paused for at least 30 days while we work together.
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Signing off now, but will be back on this story tomorrow. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those directly impacted by the devastating events of Saturday. And of course with all those who jumped into action to help. I hope people can stay focused on them.
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Many more important issues Canada and BC are dealing with today, but there's news on my beat - former Red Scorpion gangster Jarrod Bacon has been arrested: vancouversun.com/news/gangst…
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Temple president Hardeep Nijjar, gunned down Sunday night, was warned about threats just days ago, his lawyer told me. vancouversun.com/news/crime/… via @VancouverSun
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Not many details yet, but I did confirm that fugitive killer Robby Alkhalil has been arrested in Qatar: vancouversun.com/news/crime/…
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And just to stress again, I am NOT covering the pandemic or the protests. I know colleagues like @PennyDaflos and @keithbaldrey have had to put up with crap like this for almost 2 years.
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And FYI, I plan to block anyone who puts out an unconfirmed or inaccurate victim's name in response to one of my tweets. Things are tense enough out there without incorrect information circulating.
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Excited to get working on this project come fall! Thanks to @LGJanetAustin and the BC Journalism Fellowship for the support to do in depth investigative journalism!
Through the Lieutenant Governor's BC Journalism Fellowship, @kbolan has been awarded funds to produce a series of articles on the increasing international tentacles of BC gangs and organized crime groups. Learn more about the Fellowship: ltgov.bc.ca/lieutenant-gover…
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B.C. fentanyl superlab property owner says he was just the landlord vancouversun.com/news/bc-fen… via @VancouverSun
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Thanks to everyone who supports newspapers and journalists! We work hard for you, despite decimation of our staff/resources.
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Who owns the B.C. properties linked to Canada's largest synthetic drug lab? vancouversun.com/news/crime/… via @VancouverSun
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20 years ago today, 2 men accused in Canada’s deadliest terrorist attack - the 1985 Air India bombings that left 331 dead - were acquitted by a BC Supreme Court judge. Their associate Inderjit Reyat earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
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Back from Thailand and back to work next week, but at least I got to swim with Michael, who is 4.
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The 2 men who murdered Ripudman Singh Malik in July 2022 pleaded guilty to second-degree murder today, before one of them attacked the other in a New West courtroom. Stay-tuned for my story...
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We need more Gurdeep and less of all the other terrible things happening out there.
Last evening I was practicing my dance at Alaska Highway. A woman from local Indigenous community saw me and asked if she could join to dance bhangra with me. Dance brings people together, dissolves power-dynamics and creates harmonious cross-cultural friendships.
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Another story from me today about a Burnaby man who allegedly helped launder 10s of millions of criminal cash. I went to his court appearance, but he wasn't there. An articling student appeared by video asking for a 1 month adjournment. vancouversun.com/news/bc-man…
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Went out to buy an actual newspaper today (old-school print reporter habit) & starting talking to the store worker who read this online yesterday and had lots of opinions. It hit me how much people actually like long-form/investigative stories, yet journalism cuts keep coming.
EXCLUSIVE: my deep dive into the murder in Thailand of former BC gangster Jimi Sandhu. I learned of a third suspect linked to the Wolf Pack, found out Sandhu had just been banned from Malaysia and followed the suspects tracks across Phuket. vancouversun.com/feature/mur…
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Explosive allegations in US court documents that a Surrey gangster linked to the Brothers Keepers is the North American boss of an international drug operation with infamous Irish crime group/Mafia vancouversun.com/news/crime/…
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Letter sent to Sun newsroom on Dec 23, 1997 issuing a death threat against me and Tara Singh Hayer for writing about Ripudaman Malik. Hayer was shot to death 11 months later. No charges laid.
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I took these photos in October of unsecured barrels of chemicals outside Bobby Shah's Port Coquitlam business. vancouversun.com/news/rcmp-m…
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For those spreading misinformation about the #AirIndia case - here is what bombmaker Inderjit Singh Reyat said in his agreed statement of facts from his 2003 guilty plea:
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EXCLUSIVE: my deep dive into the murder in Thailand of former BC gangster Jimi Sandhu. I learned of a third suspect linked to the Wolf Pack, found out Sandhu had just been banned from Malaysia and followed the suspects tracks across Phuket. vancouversun.com/feature/mur…
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Here's our updated story on the mass murder in South Vancouver at the Lapu Lapu festival. The mentally ill suspect needs to be charged within 24 hours -so expect more tonight. vancouversun.com/news/police…
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We were all in the newsroom working hard today to tell stories we hope our community cares about. None of us had anything to do with this. If I knew this was being published, I would have said something. And my co-workers would have done so too.
The Vancouver Sun/Province newsroom is one of inclusion & diversity of opinion. It does not tolerate hate, bigotry or small mindedness. I do not endorse any thinking or writing that does. Nor do our reporters/columnists. It was a trashy piece. I’m embarrassed. But it’s not us.
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Update: I had a great night's sleep with no further calls! Thanks everyone for your support over this harassment! I shared it here to out some of the tactics people use to intimidate reporters. Have a great weekend!
Gentleman caller: Day 2
This time the call came at 2:11 am
He: This is your wake up call Kim
Me: I’m recording this and contacting the police
He: hangs up
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OK - one month into 3-month leave to write a book and finally getting into it! (First I had to paint my office, get/assemble new shelves and just generally procrastinate like a pro!)
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Feds deploy new x-ray machine to help with car thefts in Toronto. Maybe it's time to reinstate police at Canadian ports? We haven't had ports police in Canada since 1997. canada.ca/en/border-services…
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Police confirming Langley shooting suspect is dead and at least two others were killed in the early morning rampage targeting people who are homeless. Others with injuries taken to hospital.
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Cleaning out the Vancouver Sun desk today - found Bal Buttar murder confession tapes, Jamie Bacon photos sent to me by his friend and stacks and stacks of files. Sigh….
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B.C. organized crime expanding export of fentanyl and other drugs vancouversun.com/news/bc-org… via @VancouverSun
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Checking with sources confirming it is very bad. I just got in at the airport and I’m on the train but will head there as soon as I can.
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Part 2 of my series on the international links of BC gangsters - once the owner of an Abbotsford restaurant - Khamla Wong is now allegedly operating at the highest level vancouversun.com/feature/let…
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BC RCMP's federal policing section says it has dismantled several fentanyl labs and arrested chemists - details coming at 1 pm. Stay-tuned.
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Almost to the hour 25 years ago, newspaper publisher Tara Singh Hayer was shot to death in the garage of his Guildford home. Hayer, a wheelchair user after an earlier assassination attempt, had just arrived home from his office. No charges still after 1/4 of a century.
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And yet another story from me today - civil forfeiture lawsuit claims Surrey drug traffickers worked with Sinaloa leader to arrange (unsuccessfully) "bulk" coke shipments to Canada vancouversun.com/news/mexica…
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Such sad news. Condolences to his family. Former B.C. Premier John Horgan dead at 65 | Vancouver Sun vancouversun.com/news/john-h…
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Retweeting my weekend feature again because I like it and everything else today is shitty.
Exclusive: Crime reporter @kbolan travelled to Thailand to uncover new details about the assassination of UN gangster Jimi Sandhu. Read her story that retraces the steps of the two men accused in the attack and the international team who tracked them: vancouversun.com/feature/mur…
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Seizures like this 1.2 tonnes of meth at the Port of Vancouver are the reason I got a fellowship to research this issue last year. It's still happening: "Brazilian meth intercepted at Port of Vancouver, bound for Australia" vancouversun.com/news/crime/… via @VancouverSun
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BC's top cop Asst. Commissioner Dwayne McDonald says it only took RCMP 36 minutes after the fatal Whistler shooting to arrest suspects Tanvir Khakh and Gursimran Sahota.
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This is one of many stories we've done on this devastating mass murder. My job is to look at the lives of accused criminals and events leading up to terrible crimes like this. I am giving factual information about Lo. Other stories are here: vancouversun.com/
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So many people leaving X this week. I totally get it but still use it to circulate news stories. But reported a terrible indisputably racist comment and just got my answer:
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Not talking to anyone specifically - but announcing layoffs without giving any info to people possibly impacted for another week or more is really cruel, unfair, stressful…
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4 years after Port Moody's Trina Hunt went missing, her husband has been charged - but not with killing her. He was charged with committing indignities to human remains. "This charge occurs when a person neglects to perform their legal duty to bury a dead human body," IHIT says.
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14 months after Bobby Shah was sanctioned by the US for allegedly selling precursor chemicals to organized crime, police here have raided both his house in business. My latest: vancouversun.com/news/rcmp-m…
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The vitriol directed at journalists is unacceptable.
A news cameraman showed up and was immediately swarmed by protestors yelling “lies.” Police intervened quickly. (In Vancouver)
(They had no idea I was a journalist, I’m just using my phone. They ran up to the cameraman as soon as they saw the equipment)
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