Nearly 100 kg suspected cocaine seized at Coutts border crossing

News Release

The 84 bricks of suspected cocaine seized on December 2.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced today a record suspected cocaine seizure and subsequent arrests at the Coutts, Alberta border crossing.

On December 2, CBSA officers at Coutts intercepted a commercial vehicle hauling produce from California that was destined for an Alberta business. While examining the cab of the vehicle, officers found 84 bricks of suspected cocaine with a total weight of 99.5 kilograms. This is the largest suspected cocaine seizure recorded by CBSA officers in Alberta to date.

Two travellers, the driver and a passenger, were arrested and turned over to the RCMP. On December 4, the RCMP charged Gurminder Singh Toor, 31, of California and Kirandeep Kaur Toor, 26, of California on four counts each under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Their next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, December 8, 2017 in Lethbridge Provincial Court.

Quotes

"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.”

Kim R. Scoville, Regional Director General, Prairie Region, CBSA

“The success of this investigation is proof that collaboration 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.”

Inspector K.C.A. (Allan) Lai, Operations Officer, RCMP Federal Policing South, Calgary, AB

Quick Facts

  • The CBSA is relentlessly focused on keeping illegal narcotics from entering Canada, and works closely with partners such as the RCMP.

  • The CBSA and the RCMP work together to prevent illegal drug smuggling that endangers the safety of Canadian communities and generates profits for organized crime.

  • Prior to this incident, the largest CBSA cocaine seizure in Alberta was 92.74 kg, also intercepted at Coutts, on October 10, 2016.

  • Cocaine is the second-most prevalent street drug in Canada.

Associated Links

Contacts

Media Relations
Canada Border Services Agency
1-844-245-2272

Cpl. Curtis Peters, Media relations officer
Alberta RCMP
403-420-4866

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