More than a year after a trucker was accused of trying to smuggle about $2 million in cocaine into Canada via the Blue Water Bridge, a second person has been charged with conspiracy to import cocaine in the same investigation.
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A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesperson confirmed at the time more than 45 kilograms of cocaine was seized at the bridge connecting Michigan and the Sarnia area on April 11, 2023. They directed any further questions to the RCMP, who declined to comment on the investigation.
Multiple sources said the cocaine would be worth between $1.2 and $2 million.
Border officials did not identify the suspect at the time, but court documents showed Lakhan Singh, 30, from Mississauga was charged with unlawfully importing cocaine into Canada and possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
Now a new person has been recently charged in the same investigation, records show. Harpreet Malhi, 43, from Brampton is charged with conspiring with Singh and/or other people to import cocaine into Canada between Feb. 1, 2023 and April 15, 2023, importing cocaine into Canada, and possessing cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.
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The latter two charges are dated on April 11, 2023.
“As this case is currently before the courts, the RCMP will not be providing any details specific to this case,” a spokesperson said via email when asked to comment on the new charges and why they were laid one year later.
Malhi, who’s being held in the Sarnia Jail, has a bail hearing set for Monday. Singh was granted $150,000 lease in June 2023.
There have been at least 16 major drug busts – all but one involved trucks – on the Sarnia-area side of the bridge since 2019. A trucking firm boss and two others were also recently charged with conspiracy in a $5-million probe.
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