WHALLEY — A man found dead in a vehicle in Surrey on Friday is believed to be the brother of a convicted B.C. drug trafficker.
Surrey RCMP were called just after 10 a.m. to the 9500-block 139th Street, where the dead man was found.
The death was deemed suspicious and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team joined the investigation.
Police sources say the victim, who is believed to have been shot, is Mike Russell, brother of Edward “Skeeter†Russell. Using social media, Edward Russell wrote that his brother had passed away.
IHIT spokeswoman Sgt. Stephanie Ashton was unable to confirm the dead man’s identity, however she said an update on the investigation is expected in the next day or two.
In 2011, Edward Russell was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 4-1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the operation of a Hells Angels-connected drug smuggling ring that was busted in 2008.
Marijuana, cocaine and cash crossed the border in hollow logs, wood chips and secret compartments in tractor-trailers.
Russell admitted to helping arrange for marijuana to be smuggled across the border.
Edward Russell’s name also came up in testimony during the Surrey Six trial.