Record-breaking $8 million worth of cocaine seized from semi at Canadian border
Today Canadian authorities announced that they seized a whopping $8 million worth of suspected cocaine from a truck hauling American produce at the border.
The seizure was made on December 2, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Officers Find Suspected Cocaine In Microwave, Under Mattress
Authorities say that a truck hauling produce from California to a destination in Alberta was stopped by officers at the Coutts border crossing. While the officers were inspecting the cab, they discovered 84 bricks of suspected cocaine weighing a total of 99.5 kilograms. Eight of the bricks were discovered in the truck’s microwave while the rest were hidden in the sleeper berth.
From CBSA spokesperson Guy Rook: “While searching the cab of the vehicle, officers opened a microwave and found eight bricks of a suspected narcotic … A drawer beneath the microwave and an area behind the microwave revealed another 14 bricks of suspected narcotics. Continuing their examination, officers uncovered 18 bricks wedged between the end of the bed and the wall of the truck. When they lifted the top bunk mattress, they found another 44 bricks.
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We are now live on Facebook with @RCMPAlberta. Join us for details of a record-breaking suspected cocaine seizure made by CBSA officers at the #Coutts border crossing. #CBSACocaine #BorderDrugBust pic.twitter.com/vMaNeOuOrp
— Border Services PRA (@CanBorderPRA) December 8, 2017
Border Authorities Call Seizure Record-Breaking
The estimated street value of the seized drugs is $8 million.
This marks the largest cocaine seizure made by the CBSA in Alberta in the agency’s history. The next largest was 92.74 kg, which was seized in October of 2016.
Rook went on to point out how significant the drug seizure was: “I want to stress to you just how big it is. If this cocaine were street ready, it would have been enough for over 100,000 hits.”
seized cocaine – CBSA says it’s equivalent of “100,00 hits” pic.twitter.com/0zFdvgV882
— Rachel Browne (@rp_browne) December 8, 2017
The truck driver and passenger, California-residents Gurminder Singh Toor, 31, of California and Kirandeep Kaur Toor, 26, were both arrested and charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The CBSA’s Kim R. Scoville praised the officers for keeping dangerous drugs from entering Canada, “Had this quantity of illicit narcotics made its way into our communities undetected, the impact could have been devastating. The CBSA is truly Canada’s first line of defence, and this record seizure is a prime example of how frontline officers are actively protecting Canadians every day.“