A Toronto couple is facing drug-related charges stemming from a tractor-trailer loaded with suspected methamphetamine stopped at an Ontario border crossing.
On March 4, 2023, a semi-truck coming into Canada at the Ambassador Bridge border crossing in Windsor was referred for secondary examination by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) border services officers, according to a CBSA news release.
During an inspection of the trailer, officers discovered suspected methamphetamine weighing approximately 300 kg. The driver was arrested, handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and was subsequently released.
(Photo: CBSA)
Windsor RCMP Border Integrity (BI) with assistance from CBSA Windsor Intelligence and Enforcement Operations Division, began an in-depth investigation to determine where the methamphetamine was coming from and who was responsible. Windsor RCMP BI identified a 31-year-old man from Toronto, as the suspected organizer of the initial shipment. His partner, a 33-year-old woman also from Toronto, was also suspected of having been involved in the criminal activity.
Cocaine found in van
Since the incident, investigators gathered evidence that led them to believe that the couple was responsible for more than just trafficking in methamphetamine. During the investigation, police observed the man arrive at his residence in a moving van. Police stopped the vehicle and arrested him, finding 120 kilograms of cocaine in the van.
Search warrants were executed by RCMP with assistance from the CBSA at their residence in Toronto. The search resulted in officers finding and seizing more drugs, including 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of opium, two kilograms of MDMA, and several kilograms of marijuana. Officers also found evidence of possession of proceeds of crime and money laundering.
They were both arrested. The man remains in custody and the woman is waiting for her next court date. As a result of this investigation, the CBSA and RCMP prevented $13 million worth of drugs from reaching Canadian streets.
