Authorities make three major drug busts at Alberta crossing
Posted Oct 20, 2016 2:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canada Border Services and RCMP officials had a busy fall at the Coutts border crossing between Alberta and Montana.
Three separate drug seizures over the past six weeks means nearly 450 pounds of cocaine destined for western Canada will never hit the streets. Although agents won’t say if the three busts were related, they will confirm that all came from commercial trucks. In one case, the drugs were found in the cab of a truck hauling produce. Another stash was packed between big screen televisions, and the third had drugs mixed with a shipment of Halloween costumes.
Investigators can’t share much more information at this time.
“What I can tell you is the fact these investigations were conducted independently,” RCMP Insp. Allan Lai told the media on Thursday. “I can’t comment whether these individuals were related to organized crime or involved in organized crime.
“We’re modernizing the way we do business. We’re working more in greater partnership with our partners like the CBSA, as well as local law enforcement agencies. As a result of that and intelligence sharing, and working with our international and U.S. partners, we’re actually making a lot more impact and dent into criminal organizations.”
The cocaine seized on Labour Day weekend, worth $10 million dollars, is the most ever intercepted in one weekend by officers in the Prairie region.
Five men have been charged.
