Officers with the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) seized 21 kgs of suspected cocaine.
A press release from the CBSA Thursday Dec. 21 states that a commercial vehicle was intercepted Dec. 17 at the border crossing.
The vehicle was was hauling produce from California and destined for an Alberta business, say officers.
“While examining the vehicle, officers uncovered 17 bricks of suspected cocaine with a total weight of 21 kg. The bricks were located in a closet area within the cab.”
CBSA officers arrested the driver of the vehicle and turned him and the suspected cocaine over to the RCMP.
“CBSA officers play a vital role in protecting our communities. We continue to diligently screen for narcotics, knowing that every interception at the border means fewer drugs on our streets,” states Guy Rook, director for southern Alberta, CBSA.
Kuldeep Singh, 39, of Calgary is charged on four counts under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. His next court appearance was scheduled for Dec. 21 in Lethbridge Provincial Court.
For the RCMP, it’s the collaboration that made this a success, said Superintendent Tim Head, Officer-in-Charge, RCMP Federal Policing South. “…and intelligence sharing with our law enforcement partners goes a long way in reducing criminal activity in our communities and keeping Albertans and Canadians safe.”
Quick Facts
• Had the suspected cocaine seized been street-ready, it would have been enough for over 20,000 hits.
• The CBSA has a suite of detection tools and technology used to intercept narcotics, including ion mobility spectrometry, detector dogs, X-rays, and Narcotic Identification Kits. These tools, in combination with officers’ knowledge, experience, and training, enable successful enforcement actions.
Cocaine SeizedCoutts Border Crossing
Officers with the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) at the Coutts border seized 21 kgs of suspected cocaine. The incident occurred Dec. 17. The suspected cocaine bricks were stored inside the semi’s cab. CBSA photo
