Husband of slain realtor named as customer of Chinese drug syndicate

The ex-husband of a Metro Vancouver woman who was stabbed to death in a parkade last year has been named an alleged customer of an overseas drug syndicate.

Bobby Shah, former partner of deceased realtor and mother of three Ramina Shah, was named in a news release this week from the US Department of the Treasury about a large Chinese network of drug producers.

US investigators allege Shah’s company, Valerian Labs Inc., was a major customer of the Chinese drug syndicate. Shah also goes by Bahman Djebelibak.

“Djebelibak is a distributor of illicit precursor chemicals and equipment used to produce an array of synthetic drugs,” the US Treasury said in its statement.

Shah and everyone else named in the proceedings have had their US property blocked.

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This is far from Shah’s first time being the target of law enforcement.

In 2018, his Maple Ridge home was raided, and vehicles seized because BC’s Civil Forfeiture Office deemed the $2.8 million home and luxury cars proceeds of crime. The possessions were only returned when a judge ruled that police violated the couple’s civil rights during the seizure — in part because officers failed to adequately care for the couple’s one-year-old daughter after Shah was arrested. She was apparently handed back to Ramina soaked in urine.

The couple’s Maple Ridge home was seized in 2018 because the court classified it as proceeds of crime. (Google Street View)

There was a lengthy investigation into Shah’s alleged fraud activities, court documents suggest, where he would allegedly enlist young men to purchase expensive items for him and in return, he’d give them cheques worth more than the value. Once victims discovered the cheques were fraudulent, he’d apparently cut off contact and move on to the next person.

Shah already has criminal convictions from 2000 to 2008 for using counterfeit money, using credit card data without permission, and obstructing a peace officer. He’s also been charged with fraud before, facing charges alongside reported gang members.

The Coquitlam parkade where Ramina Shah was attacked (Submitted)

Then, in January 2022, his ex-wife was stabbed to death in a parkade. She was attacked heading home from work, and more than a year and a half later, no one has been arrested or charged in connection with her killing.

Memorial For A Mother Of Three/GoFundMe

Ramina was a loving mother and shared pictures of her three children frequently on social media.

The couple had split sometime after the raid at their home and appeared in family court in 2021 and 2022. Ramina began alluding to a new life on social media in 2021 and had begun working as an agent with Stonehaus Realty.

“[Ramina] was the type of person that lit up a room, her presence and outgoing personality was loved by everyone,” Stonehaus said. “She was dedicated to starting her new career in real estate while at the same time being an amazing mom to three young children.”

Ramina’s family organized an online fundraiser in her memory, with proceeds benefiting her children.