A Canadian man was sentenced to one year in jail recently after he was caught attempting to smuggle more than two dozen kilograms of cannabis from Vancouver to the U.K., authorities announced Monday. The investigation began on Oct. 28, 2024, after the Canada Border Services Agency intercepted a suitcase bound for London Heathrow containing 31 kilograms of cannabis at Vancouver International Airport. Alaaddin Koc, a 56-year-old from Windsor, Ont., was arrested and released pending further investigation, and he was eventually charged under the Cannabis Act. Federal Policing Pacific Region says Koc failed to appear in court, a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was later found in Ontario. Koc pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for the purpose of exportation this July, and in September was sentenced to one year in jail and given a lifetime firearms prohibition. RCMP say despite cannabis being legal, there remains an “active illicit market” in Canada. “The outbound flow of illicit drugs is a continued focus of multiple international partners and is a priority for the FPPR Border Integrity Program,” Staff Sgt. Rhonda Hislop said, in a statement. “The ongoing support provided by Canada Border Services Agency is critical to our enforcement efforts.”
