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Prosecutions and Seizures
Pacific Region
CBSA intercepts more than 62 kilos of suspected cocaine at Pacific Highway crossing
Vancouver, Bristish Columbia, July 11, 2013 – The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) today announced the seizure of 62.3 kilograms of suspected cocaine.
CBSA officers at the Pacific Highway port of entry discovered the drugs on June 26, 2013, concealed in a truckload of food products being shipped from California.
The driver of the truck was referred to a secondary inspection after failing to satisfy the primary officer about the contents of his load as described in the bill of lading. The truck was then off-loaded and 56 bricks were discovered in five cardboard boxes sitting on two pallets. No additional concealment was used.
This is the single largest interception of cocaine in British Columbia since July 2011, when officers seized 115 kilograms of the illegal drug, also at the Pacific Highway port of entry.
The CBSA arrested the driver of the truck and turned the drugs and driver over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for further investigation.
“This significant seizure demonstrates the excellent work being done by our border services officers who are committed to stopping the smuggling of illegal drugs at our ports of entry,” said Jan Brock, Chief of Commercial Operations at the Pacific Highway crossing. “The CBSA works closely with the RCMP to protect the safety and security of Canadians and keep illegal drugs off our streets.”
“Effective drug enforcement is built upon the effective cooperation between law enforcement agencies,” said Superintendent Derek Simmonds, of the RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime Program in British Columbia. “The strong partnership between the RCMP and CBSA is vital to preventing dangerous drugs like cocaine from reaching the streets of British Columbia.”
The CBSA remains committed to intercepting drugs at ports of entry and preventing drug smuggling that endangers the safety of Canadian communities and generates profits for organized crime.
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For media information
Perry Boldt
Canada Border Services Agency
Pacific Region Media Relations
604-818-9701
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CBSA border services officers discovered 56 bricks of suspected cocaine in five cardboard boxes on two pallets in a commercial shipment of goods at the Pacific Highway crossing.
CBSA border services officers discovered 56 bricks of suspected cocaine in five cardboard boxes on two pallets in a commercial shipment of goods at the Pacific Highway crossing.
