Two men allegedly used classifieds site to recruit Canadian women to smuggle cannabis: CBSA

A Canada Border Services Agency patch is seen on the uniform of a CBSA officer at Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, B.C., on Friday, October 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Two men have been arrested as part of an investigation into international cannabis smuggling through Canada’s border, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) said Monday.

The investigation started after two Canadian women were arrested in Nigeria, the CBSA said, for attempting to transport cannabis.

In the press release, the CBSA said the pair of women were recruited through “LeoList,” a classifieds website. The ad was targeting women between the ages of 20 and 65 and allegedly promised up to $20,000 in exchange for travelling across the Canadian border with illicit drugs through Toronto Pearson International Airport.

After investigating for nine months, the CBSA, working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), says they were able to intercept a 29-kilogram package of illicit cannabis before it was able to leave Canada.

The CBSA and RCMP advise the public to “exercise caution when responding to online ads for job offers that promise large sums of money with little explanation and require international travel.”

Charles Adewoye, a 48-year-old from Toronto, is facing two charges related to the alleged crimes.

Shamaarke Jafar Ismail, 25, of the U.K. has been arrested and charged with three offences.