Bobby Shah asserts the government is trying to seize his Maple Ridge home under proceeds of crime legislation without evidence of criminal conduct.
Shah filed a response to a civil forfeiture action filed by the BC Ministry of the Attorney General in January, essentially saying he is doing legitimate chemical business. Shah, also known as Bahman Djebelibak, is the director of Valerian Labs and other businesses. He pushes back against allegations he was involved with a Chinese syndicate, and that he lacked the legitimate income to buy the property.
Shah’s 7,200-square-foot home on 124th Avenue has six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, and is currently listed for sale at a price of $3.6 million.
“Viewed in its entirety, the plaintiff’s pleading relies on insinuation rather than evidence,” said the response by Shah. “When prejudice is removed and the facts are considered as a whole, what remains is lawful business activity conducted across multiple industries under active regulatory oversight, with no identified criminal act.”
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In October 2023, the U.S. government announced sanctions against Shah and Valerian Labs, as well as 25 other people, for alleged involvement in international proliferation of illicit drugs including fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The B.C. government claim said the house was purchased with the proceeds of unlawful activity, and Shah’s lawful income was not sufficient to buy it.
Shah denied the source of his income is unknown, noting he owns retails storefronts, salons, warehouses, laboratories and other assets, and is involved in commercial transactions.
His tax records show income of $647,000 in 2022, $495,000 in 2021 and $187,000 in 2020.
In August of 2013, he and his late spouse Ramina Shaw bought their first home in Port Moody for $867,000, using a $100,000 wedding gift from his wife’s mother and savings. After renovations, they sold the property in 2016 for approximately $1.6 million.
These proceeds, with income from businesses Hair Candy Products and Cleopatra Brow Bar, were used to buy the house on 124th Avenue for $1.7 million, with a down payment of roughly $600,000.
His response said the government claim makes reference to criminal records from approximately 16 years ago, and older, and those crimes did not involve chemical offenses, precursor regulation, or controlled substances.
Shah asserts he worked on a regular basis with Chemical Compliance Canada to ensure his business operations met regulatory requirements.
His response said U.S. allegations that he was a distributor of illicit precursor chemicals were based on his company’s lawful purchase of methylamine hydrochloride. It’s illegal in the U.S., however it is not classified the same way in Canada, he said.
The response said Valerian Labs had an inventory of 253 chemical products it was selling, but the case against him refers to just 17 chemicals.
“If the defendant had stocked only those 17, that might suggest a narrow targeting of the designer drug industry,” said the filing. “The breadth of the inventory instead reflects… the business carried products that were lawful to possess, sell and distribute.”
It also says there is no evidence to support the allegation that he was affiliated with a China-based criminal organization.
His response asserts the property has been a family home for more than a decade, and no unlawful activity has ever been carried out there.
Shah’s filing said he has suffered damage to his business and reputation, and reserves the right to seek compensation.