Brampton man charged after more than $23M worth of cocaine seized at border crossing

187 kilograms of suspected cocaine seized at the Blue Water Bridge border crossing in Sarnia is shown. (Canada Border Services Agency)

A Brampton man is facing charges after 187 kilograms of cocaine was found hidden inside a commercial truck arriving from the United States at Sarnia’s Blue Water Bridge border crossing.

The Canada Border Service Agency says the truck was referred for a secondary inspection after arriving at the crossing on June 12.

In a news release, the CBSA said that border service officers searching the truck with the assistance of a drug detection dog discovered 161 bricks of suspected cocaine inside six boxes.

The CBS said that the street value of the drugs is pegged at $23.2 million.

Karamveer Singh, 27, of Brampton, was arrested at the crossing and transferred into the custody of the RCMP.

He is charged with importation of cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

“The safety and security of Canadians is our government’s top priority. This seizure demonstrates the crucial role that the CBSA and the RCMP play in stopping illicit contraband from entering our communities. This was outstanding work by officers,” Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree said in the release.

The CBSA says that its agents have seized 978 kilograms of cocaine at Southern Ontario ports of entry so far this year.

The latest seizure is the fourth significant cocaine seizure at the Blue Water Bridge crossing so far this year, the CBSAsays.

It also comes on the heels of a June 10 news conference where Peel police revealed that they had seized 479 kilograms of bricked cocaine with an estimated street value of $47.9 million following a year-long probe into a group that was allegedly using commercial trucks to smuggle drugs into Canada.