A man arrested in North Vancouver has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for human trafficking of a minor and possession of drugs for the purposes of trafficking.
According to a ruling handed down by the B.C. Supreme Court last week, West Vancouver Police Department officers pulled over a vehicle known to be associated with the drug trade in a North Van cul-de-sac in June 2017. Meaz Abdelrahma Nour-Eldin was in the passenger seat.
He fled, leaving behind a container with about $1,100 worth of heroin and fentanyl, cocaine, crack and methamphetamine, wrapped in individual baggies. With the help of a police dog, officers tracked him down and he was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.
More serious charges were looming, however, after a victim, who was an Indigenous minor, came forward to police in February of 2020 to give a statement.
The victim, whose name is protected by a court-ordered publication ban, was recruited by Nour-Eldin at the age of 15 in a scheme to rob and blackmail Johns, according to the ruling. She was later pressured into prostitution, being forced to serve five to 10 Johns a night under horrific conditions.
“She was physically mistreated by the men by violence or the threat of violence at times. They controlled her movements to a degree, including by providing her with drugs and alcohol,” the ruling states. “She saw only a tiny fraction of the amounts she earned. [She] was required to provide sex services that she did not wish to. [She] was exposed to health risks, including by the fact that she was not provided with condoms to use. She was also required to have sex with Mr. Nour-Eldin and his associates, and their friends. She was trafficked across the border into Alberta.”
Nour-Eldin later pleaded guilty to one count of human trafficking and one count of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Shelley Fitzpatrick handed down sentences for both crimes on Dec. 21.
In a victim impact statement, which she delivered in open court, the victim spoke of the profound impact Nour-Eldin’s crimes had on her and her ability to form relationships.
“She describes being devastated by the exploitation and the fact that her youth and innocence was stolen from her. She continues to feel guilt, shame and fear and feels isolated from her peers. She continues to view her life and experiences through that traumatic experience,” Fitzpatrick wrote.
The Crown and Nour-Eldin’s defence made a joint submission to the court that he should face six years in prison for human trafficking and another 16 months for the drug charge.
Nour-Eldin, 26, was born in Libya to a conservative Muslim family, the court heard. He moved to Canada when he was six. After graduating from high school in Surrey, he developed a drug habit and turned to crime. He had only recently been released from jail when West Vancouver police arrested him on the drug charges, the ruling notes.
Prior to sentencing, his lawyers told the judge that Nour-Eldin had been working on his sobriety in jail and that he has reflected on the “significant harm he has caused others by his selfishness.”
He also stated his remorse to the victim and her family.
Fitzpatrick, however, said Nour-Eldin’s prospects of rehabilitation remain “an open question.”
“Mr. Nour-Eldin, your criminal actions have had many effects, all negative. No doubt your family had hopes for your future in bringing you to Canada. You have squandered that opportunity, at least for the time being. Instead, you embarked on a life of crime that not only affected your family, but had serious and negative effects upon others. You trafficked street drugs, including a deadly drug, fentanyl, for financial gain. You victimized and exploited … a child.”
Fitzpatrick also drew attention to the harms dealt by the kinds of drugs Nour-Eldin had with him.
“Sadly, the carnage from drug use in B.C. and across Canada, particularly relating to the use of fentanyl, has continued and in fact, increased. One need only listen to the ever-increasing numbers of deaths reported in the media on almost a daily basis,” she wrote.
With time already served in custody prior to sentencing, Nour-Eldin will spend another 546 days in prison on the human trafficking count, followed by 445 days on the drug charge.
