RCMP have laid drug smuggling charges against a transport truck driver following the discovery of 60 bricks of cocaine in his vehicle at the Ambassador Bridge
Members of the Canada Border Services Agency stopped the commercial truck as it was trying to enter Canada via the bridge on April 17.
A secondary examination of the vehicle uncovered the contraband in the truck cabin.
The cocaine was packaged as plastic-wrapped bricks, hidden in cardboard boxes.
Each brick of cocaine had a weight of one kilogram — bringing the total weight of the drugs seized to approximately 60 kilograms.
RCMP identified the driver as Jasbir Singh, a resident of the community of Paris, Ont., near Brantford.
Singh faces two charges: importation of cocaine, and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
The accused has been scheduled to appear in court in Windsor.
Joseph Chayeski, director of CBSA Ambassador Bridge District Operations, praised the work of the CBSA officers in this incident, and the follow-through by the RCMP.
“The excellent working partnership we have with the RCMP is a great benefit in fighting organized smuggling efforts and protecting our communities,” Chayeski stated in a release.
Federal Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino said the safety and security of Canadians is the government’s top priority. “By stopping illegal drugs at the border, we’re keeping our communities safe.”