THE Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC) said on Monday that it had reached a major milestone in its ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and financial criminality, with the first sentencing in a decade in a B.C. money laundering case.

Alexandra Joie Chow, a 37-year-old woman from Richmond, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail following a complex, multi-year investigation into a group involved in loan sharking and laundering the proceeds of crime.

In August 2019, CFSEU-BC’s Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team (JIGIT) initiated an investigation into suspected loan-sharking and money laundering activities.

On November 5, 2021, JIGIT executed multiple search warrants at locations in Richmond and Burnaby, including residences and vehicles associated with the suspects. Two individuals were arrested at that time.

The investigation progressed with the approval of charges by the BC Prosecution Service on November 1, 2023, against Chow.

On February 24, 2025, Chow pleaded guilty to one count of laundering proceeds of crime.

On November 24, Chow was sentenced to 18 months in jail, marking a significant enforcement milestone relating to a stand-alone money laundering investigation in British Columbia. The court also ordered that the cash and bank drafts seized by police in the court of the investigation be forfeited.

“This is the first time in a decade that a money laundering investigation in British Columbia has resulted in a sentencing,” said Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha, Media Relations Officer for CFSEU-BC. “It underscores the impact of collaborative investigative work and reflects JIGIT’s mandate to deliver a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional response to illegal gaming tied to organized crime, including money laundering, loan-sharking and sophisticated bookmaking, all in support of protecting British Columbians.”