CBSA cocaine seizure leads to nine-year sentence for drug smuggler
By Lone Sheep Publishing
A resident of New Brunswick was sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to smuggle cocaine into Canada at the Pacific Highway Commercial border crossing near Vancouver the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said in a media release Thursday.
The bust was a joint venture between the CBSA and Royal Mounted Canadian Police (RCMP).
The media release said that on March 18, 2021, New Brunswick commercial driver Gerry Crawley entered the Pacific Highway Commercial Operations in a tractor-trailer carrying personal care products from California.
During the examination, border services officers found 64 individually wrapped bricks of suspected cocaine hidden within the vehicle.
In total, 71.5 kilograms of cocaine was seized with an estimated value of over $3.5 million.
Following an investigation by the CBSA and the Pacific Region RCMP Federal Policing Program, Crawley was found guilty of the following offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act:
- Section 5(2): Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking
- Section 6(1): Importing/Exporting a Controlled Substance
“The Canada Border Services Agency protects the integrity of Canada’s borders by holding those who break our laws accountable,” said Nina Patel, Regional Director General, Canada Border Services Agency, Pacific Region.
“By preventing, investigating and prosecuting the smuggling of illegal drugs, we reduce the risk of harm to Canadians and disrupt criminality.”
Superintendent Bert Ferreira, Officer in Charge of the Pacific Region RCMP Federal Policing – Border Integrity Program said the successful conclusion of this proactive enforcement action by the CBSA, and the RCMP Federal Policing Program is yet another example of our shared commitment to protecting Canadians from the serious threats posed by international criminal elements.
“The 9-year prison sentence should also serve as a clear message to anyone involved in the distribution of illicit drugs, that our dedicated officers will relentlessly pursue them until they are brought to justice in the court of law,” Ferreira said.
Quick Facts
- From January 1 to October 31, 2023, the CBSA’s Pacific Region made 6,389 illegal narcotic seizures, including 7,900 kg of methamphetamine and 239 kg of cocaine. For more highlights, visit the 2023 Year in Review.
- Smuggling narcotics and other Customs Act contraventions may lead to prosecution in a court of law. For foreign nationals this may mean removal from Canada, and a ban on returning to Canada.
- For the latest narcotics and enforcement statistics, visit Canada Border Services Agency seizures.
- Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is encouraged to call the CBSA Border Watch Toll-free Line at 1-888-502-9060 or submit a tip online.
— with files from Canada Border Services Agency
