Nearly 50 kilograms of suspected cocaine found in tractor trailer at the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge

News Release

January 3, 2018 Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada Border Services Agency / Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced today the seizure of 49.7 kilograms of suspected cocaine at the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge Commercial Operations and the subsequent arrest of a Toronto man.

On November 19, 2017, a male driver hauling a load of plastic resin pellets arrived at the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. A border services officer referred the driver and the tractor trailer to secondary for examination.

During the secondary examination, officers along with a detector dog team discovered 50 packages of suspected cocaine. The drugs were concealed inside several cardboard boxes containing plastic resin pellets. The CBSA seized the suspected cocaine and arrested the 54 year-old driver. The man and the evidence were turned over to the RCMP.

After further investigation, the RCMP charged Omari Kutaladze of Toronto, Ontario with the Importation of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking. The next court date is January 11, 2018 at the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines, Ontario.

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Quotes

“I am proud of our officers and our detector dog teams who are committed to stopping illegal activity at our borders and to protecting our communities. This seizure also illustrates our close working relationship with the RCMP to keep illicit drugs out of our country”.
Neil Mooney, Director, Niagara District Operations, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency

"The RCMP is committed to protecting Canadian communities against the threat of illegal drugs. This investigation is another example of the effective partnership that exists between the RCMP and the CBSA, which has resulted in the removal of harmful, illegal drugs from our communities.”
Inspector Ann Koenig, Officer in charge of Hamilton Niagara Regional RCMP Detachment

Quick Facts

The CBSA and the RCMP work together to prevent illegal drug smuggling that threatens the safety of our communities.
From January 1, 2017 to December 1, 2017, over 123 kilograms of cocaine were seized at the CBSA ports of entry in the Southern Ontario Region.
If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Toll free Line at 1-888-502-9060.
If you have information on suspicious or criminal activities, please contact your local police, the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).