Punjabi trucker Pardeep Singh arrested in Canada for smuggling cocaine
Darpan News Desk IANS, 09 Jul, 2021 01:50 PM
A Punjabi trucker has been arrested in Canada for smuggling about 112.5 kg of cocaine into the country from the US.
Pardeep Singh, 24, who is a resident of LaSalle in Quebec, was caught when his truck entered Fort Erie in Canada from the US.
When Singh's truck was referred for a secondary examination, border inspectors found about 112.5 kg of cocaine hidden inside five duffle bags.
The market value of the seized drug haul is about $14 million.
Singh was arrested and handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
He will appear in court on Friday to face charges.
Scores of Punjabi men have been arrested recently for smuggling drugs into Canada.
In June, nine Toronto-area Punjabi men were arrested when police forces busted a 20-member drug cartel and seized drugs worth over $61 million from them.
In April, 25 Punjabi men from Brampton were arrested as part of a drug gang which was smuggling cocaine into Canada and distributing it throughout the country through its underground network.
In January, Punjabi trucker Amarpreet Singh Sandhu of Calgary created a smuggling record when he was arrested with 228.14 kg of methamphetamine worth $28.5 million in the market.
Investigators seized about 13 kilograms of fentanyl, 11 kilograms of crystal meth, eight kilograms of benzodiazepine, and five kilograms of cocaine. Police also seized a hydraulic press, $320,000 in cash, and a firearm.
Mary Simon, an Inuk leader and former diplomat, described her appointment as Canada's next governor general — the first Indigenous person to serve in the role — as a “step forward on the long path to reconciliation.”
The BC Wildfire Service says 212 wildfires are burning in British Columbia as lightning storms swept over several areas of the province. The wildfire service website shows more than three dozen small fires have been sparked across all regions except the Coastal Fire Centre.
Officers conducted a traffic stop with a vehicle associated to the property and arrested the driver. Further investigation led to the seizure of approximately 1 kilogram of dried cannabis and $35,000 cash.
