New Delhi: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Tuesday arrested a man of Indian origin on charges of drug-trafficking, including import and possession of cocaine amounting to 187 kg.
In a statement, the CBSA said the cocaine was imported from the US on a commercial truck on 12 June. During inspection of the truck with the help of a detector dog at the Blue Water Bridge port of entry, border service officers discovered 161 bricks of suspected cocaine contained in six boxes.
The cocaine, a controlled substance in Canada, has been valued at $23.3 million by the agency. The seizure led to the arrest of accused Karamveer Singh, 27, from Brampton, Ontario, which is known for a sizeable presence of people from the Indian community.
According to data compiled and shared by the agency, the Tuesday seizure accounted for nearly 20 percent of overall seizure of cocaine made by the agency so far this year at Southern Ontario ports of entry.
After taking Singh into custody under provisions of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, under which cocaine is listed as a controlled substance in the nation, the CBSA handed him over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
“The CBSA takes its border protection responsibilities very seriously, and our officers work diligently with the RCMP to prevent smuggling across our borders. This is the fourth time a significant amount of cocaine coming from the United States was seized at the Blue Water Bridge this year, demonstrating the excellent work being done by our border services officers and their effectiveness in safeguarding our borders,” An Nguyen, Director of St Clair District Operations, Canada Border Services Agency, said in a statement.
Tuesday’s arrest of a person of Indian origin for allegedly smuggling cocaine into Canada comes around a fortnight after the Canadian Police in Ontario arrested six men of Indian origin on similar charges.
The six men were charged with drug-trafficking and possession of arms following a year-long probe, which led to seizure of 479 kg of cocaine bricks worth $47.9 million.
Earlier, in February this year, two persons of Indian origin, identified as Swati Narula and Kunwardeep Singh, were charged under Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for possessing fentanyl for trafficking.
Last November, the RCMP arrested one Gaganpreet Randhawa on charges of being involved in drug and firearms-related offences.
During searches, investigators seized 54 kg of fentanyl, massive amounts of precursor chemicals, 390 kg of methamphetamine, 35 kg of cocaine, 15 kg of MDMA, 6 kg of cannabis, as well as a total of 89 firearms, including 45 handguns, 21 AR-15-style rifles, and submachine guns. Additionally, $500,000 in cash was also recovered.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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