Indo-Canadian truck driver accused of supplying drugs, cocaine worth $8.7 million seized – Dainik Savera Times

Toronto: An Indian truck driver from Canada has been charged with attempting to bring cocaine worth approximately $8.7 million into the US, according to court documents. Gagandeep Singh, a citizen of India and resident of Canada, was charged with ‘distributing a controlled substance’. According to a report, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit asked Singh to stop for inspection around 11.45 pm on Monday. “The defendant ignored the officers and attempted to proceed through the toll despite being stopped by CBP officers,” the criminal complaint states.

Authorities found 13 cardboard boxes sealed with duct tape in a transport trailer after a Border Police dog, K-9, alerted them to the smell of controlled substances. A ‘white powdery’ substance worth 290 kilograms was found, which was believed to be cocaine. “Due to my training and experience, I can estimate the street value of the suspected cocaine seized to be approximately $8,700,000,” Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jeffrey Richardson wrote in the complaint.

Richardson alleged that the seizure was consistent with large-scale drug distribution activities. He told the court that scissors and duct tape matching the tape used to seal the boxes were found in the cab of the transport. According to officials, Singh’s manifest indicated he was carrying ‘agriculture equipment’ But the seal on the trailer was for a Canadian health and beauty company.