Canada’s border agency says its officers in British Columbia recently confiscated more than 26 kilograms of cocaine concealed within a container that was declared as a shipment of frozen fruit from Colombia.
The drugs were discovered by officers at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility on Oct. 31 with the help of detector dogs, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said in a Dec. 22 press release.
The officers found 23 bricks of cocaine hidden in the ceiling of the shipping container, the agency said. The drugs, which weighed 26.2 kilograms in total, were handed over to the drug and organized crime investigators unit within the RCMP.
“This successful seizure is a direct result of the vigilance and dedication of the CBSA officers who keep our country safe,” CBSA Pacific Region regional director general Nina Patel said in the press release.
CBSA officers in British Columbia have made 10,428 narcotic seizures between January and October this year that included 727 kilograms of cocaine, the agency said.
A large portion of the confiscated cocaine was discovered within a shipment of vehicle parts at Vancouver International Airport during a Sept. 3 inspection.
Patel said the seizure represented “millions of dollars kept out of the hands of criminals.”
Nearly 77 kilograms of cocaine was found during the Sept. 25 inspection and the CBSA arrested the Canadian driver.
Officers have also confiscated 811 grams of fentanyl and 661,715 grams of other opioids during that period as well as 222,037 grams of hash and 36,559 grams of heroin.
The agency noted that while it confiscated a lower volume of fentanyl than other drugs, it is much more potent.
“A few grains can be enough to kill you,” the agency said. “It is a dangerous drug that is 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. This makes the risk of accidental overdose very high.”
