Officials confirmed a suspect arrested in mid-December at the Blue Water Bridge and charged with importing cocaine was a trucker, bumping 2022’s total to seven drivers charged at the Sarnia-area border.
Officials confirmed a suspect arrested in mid-December at the Blue Water Bridge and charged with importing cocaine was a trucker, bumping 2022’s total to seven drivers charged at the Sarnia-area border.
A total of 84 bricks of suspected cocaine weighing approximately 84 kilograms was reportedly seized Dec. 14 after a commercial truck crossing the border from Michigan to Southwestern Ontario was sent for a secondary examination, border and RCMP officials said Wednesday. An approximate street value was not included, but an RCMP spokesperson said it could be worth between $3.9 million and $4.2 million, although that value would vary based on purity and quality.
Chander Sidhar, 55, of Caledon has been charged with importing cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking, officials said. He was granted bail in January and returns to court later this month.
The Observer reported the charges on Dec. 17, three days after Sidhar was arrested, but border officials said at the time they couldn’t confirm if he was a trucker or provide any additional information due to the ongoing investigation. Following another request for more information, Wednesday’s statement was released to various media outlets.
It included quotes from Marco Mendicino, Canada’s minister of public safety.
“The safety and security of Canadians is our government’s top priority. I want to thank the dedicated CBSA and RCMP officers for their excellent work in stopping dangerous narcotics from coming into the country,” he said.
An Nguyen, the regional director of operations for the Canada Border Services Agency, said the seizure demonstrates the hard work and diligence of the two organizations while Rae Bolsterli, a superintendent with the RCMP, said it shows their commitment to disrupting the flow of illegal drugs from coming into Canada.
The RCMP also thanked the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Center of Canada for their help with the investigation.
Border officers seized about 870 kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin in 2022, officials said during a visit last month to the Blue Water Bridge by Mendicino. The total amount of illegal drugs pulled from commercial trucks crossing the border is roughly four times as much as what was seized in each of the previous three years, said Rob Wilson, the acting Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) director for the bridge crossing. About three-quarters of drugs seized during the past year has been cocaine, the director noted.
2022 BLUE WATER BRIDGE DRUG BUSTS
- Jan. 13: About 265 kilograms of suspected heroin, pink cocaine and methamphetamines was seized. A 23-year-old Quebec City driver was charged.
- April 8: About 60 kilograms of suspected cocaine was found, although new charges linked to heroin were later ugly. A 25-year-old Brampton truck driver was charged.
- June 21: Suitcases holding 100 bricks of suspected cocaine were discovered. A trucker, 62, from Toronto was charged.
- Oct 17: A total of 224 kilograms worth about $9.4 million was seized. A 68-year-old Brampton trucker was charged.
- Dec. 11: A total of 89 bricks of suspected cocaine worth as much as $6 million were seized. Two truckers from Brampton were charged.
- Dec. 14: A total of 84 bricks of suspected cocaine weighing approximately 84 kilograms were seized. A driver from Caledon was charged.