Huge smuggling racket busted in Canada, leads to mammoth seizure of 1.7 tonnes illegal drugs (Ld)

New Delhi/Ontario, July 24 (AHN) In one of biggest crackdown on organised drug trade, the police busted an illegal cross-border trafficking network and seized nearly $140 million worth of illegal drugs in Ontario on Thursday.

The operation, seen as the largest drug bust in Canada's Ontario, resulted in recovery of a staggering 1.7 tonnes of illegal drugs allegedly comprising cocaine, opium and other narcotics.

More than 21 suspects have been charged with cross-border smuggling and set to face trial for the grave offence. Nineteen of the accused have been while two remain on the run.

Out of 21 accused, 13 are of South Asian origin, including some with Indian names. Some of the arrested suspects are Navpreet Singh, Haninderpal Grewal, Gagandip Thindal, Simranjit Singh, Kanwarpal Kular, Jatinderpal Singh, Jasvinder Sohi, Tejwinder Sandhu, Harjwinder Sandhu and more.

Notably, Ontario is Canada’s most populous province and home to over 14 million people, comprising about 38 per cent of the population. The operation titled ‘Project Bay’ focused on disrupting the trafficking of illegal drugs with a nexus to the international border.

The cross-border operation was dubbed Project Bay and resulted in seizure of 973 kilograms of suspected cocaine, 660 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and 49 kilograms of suspected opium, said an official statement from Canada police and border services Agency.

About 17 firearms, including an anti-tank rifle - ammunition, prohibited weapons and devices, high-end jewellery, money counters, 43 cellphones and six laptops were also recovered from their possession, said reports.

Multiple US agencies including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Drug Enforcement Administration are said to have provided operational and investigative support in cracking one of the biggest drug busts in Canada’s history.

The investigations revealed that the drug syndicate used a broker-style model within the commercial transportation industry.

Established contacts were allegedly used to recruit drivers who knowingly moved drugs across the border while concealing them within legitimate supply chains, the probe found.