The Canada Border Services Agency says it seized 233 kilograms of suspected cocaine at the border near Niagara-on-the-Lake, valued at an estimated $6.5 million.
The agency said a lone male driving a commercial truck arrived at the primary inspection booth at the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge on Sept. 26 and was referred for secondary examination.
It was during this examination that border services officers discovered 202 brick-shaped objects, the agency said in a news release on Jan. 10.
“The objects tested positive for suspected cocaine with a total weight of 233 kg,” the news release read.
The agency arrested the driver, a 35-year-old man from Brampton, and transferred to the custody of the RCMP border integrity unit, along with the suspected drugs.
On Dec. 19, they charged the driver with importation of cocaine and possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was released with strict conditions and a court date related to these charges is scheduled for Feb. 2.
“The diligence of our border services officers led to this significant seizure of cocaine. Our work with the RCMP is key to dismantling smuggling efforts and keeping harmful drugs out of our communities,” said Jeff Walters, district director of the agency’s Niagara District Operations, in the news release.
A similar arrest and seizure was made back in 2020 at the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, when border services agency officers, seized approximately 117 kilograms of suspected cocaine, valued then at $14 million.
