Suspected heroin valued at just under $7 million seized at the Peace Bridge

Suspected heroin, valued at an estimated $7 million, was seized at the Peace Bridge in December. (OPP photo)

Authorities say they’ve seized 42 kilograms of suspected heroin valued at just under $7 million from a tractor trailer that was attempting to enter Canada from the United States at the Peace Bridge.

Last month, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and members of the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), which includes the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), launched an intelligence-led investigation into suspected drug trafficking activity and the alleged importation of heroin from the U.S. into Canada.

On Dec. 18, investigators with the multi-agency enforcement team, which is led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, identified a suspect tractor trailer trying to enter the country at the Peace Bridge, which connects Buffalo, New York, to Fort Erie, Ont.

Border services officers then conducted a primary inspection and referred the vehicle for an examination.

“With the assistance of a CBSA detector dog, border services officers detected and seized 42 kilograms of suspected heroin concealed in the trailer,” the OPP/CBSA said in a news release.

The CBSA also seized the tractor and trailer as “offence-related property” along with two cellphones and turned them over to the OPP.

Officials say the estimated street value of the heroin seized is $6.98 million.

“This seizure demonstrates the critical importance of intelligence-led policing and strong partnerships at our borders. The OPP, working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency and our BEST partners, remains committed to disrupting the flow of illegal drugs into the communities we serve,” Chief Supt. Mike Stoddart, of the OPP’s Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, said in a release.

Michael Prosia, CBSA’s regional director general for the southern Ontario region, said this seizure is a “great example of the excellent work and collaboration between the CBSA, the OPP and BEST.”

This investigation remains ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.