U.S. border agents discover $3 million in cocaine, Brampton trucker charged

A Brampton man has been arrested by U.S. border officials after a large quantly of drugs were found in a truck trying to cross into Canada.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered the 380 pounds of cocaine on May 9 as the truck was on its way into Canada across the Ambassador Bridge that links Detroit and Windsor.

The value of the drugs is estimated at $3 million.

Gurshinder Singh of Brampton has since been charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

According to court documents, the truck had departed from Wisconsin and was headed to an Ontario destination.

When the vehicle was pulled over, customs agents discovered boxes labelled “Home Depot” that were hidden behind rubber mats. The drugs were found inside the boxes in vacuum-sealed and duct-taped brick bundles.

Agents also said that a cellphone found in the truck had text messages directing the driver to a stop along his route where the illegal shipment was possibly picked up.

According to the Detroit Free Press, a customs agent wrote in a report that “the volume of controlled substances and the manner in which they were being transported from the United States to Canada is indicative of a broader drug trafficking effort that is involved in the further distribution of the controlled substances.”

This is the fourth Canada-bound shipment of cocaine that has been found by U.S. officials since March.