A well-known gangster, who returned to Vancouver in January after serving five years in a U-S prison, is the city’s latest murder victim.
Vancouver Police are investigating the drive-by shooting death of Ranjit Cheema, gunned down as he was exiting his S-U-V on East 61st Avenue near Ross Street this morning.
According to the Vancouver Sun, Cheema’s parents live on the block, and prior to his extradition to the U-S for a drug smuggling conviction, he lived there.
Area resident Rashpal says she heard what sounded like fire-crackers at around 9-30 a-m.
She calls the murder shocking, but not surprising.
A black S-U-V was spotted fleeing the scene.
No arrests have been made so far.
Cheema’s connections to the gang world go back to at least the 1990s.
17 years ago, he survived a shooting at the Zodiac Nightclub in Richmond, and he was an associate of notorious gang boss Bindy Johal before he was gunned down in 1998.
More recently, Cheema did 5 years in an American prison for his role in an international cocaine and heroin smuggling operation.
He had only been released in January.
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