It's being billed as the largest Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) seizure of illegal narcotics to ever occur in the Canadian Prairies, and it happened right here in Southern Manitoba.
At a news conference in Winnipeg on Wednesday morning, authorities announced officers at the Boissevain Port of Entry discovered and seized 406 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine following a search of a commercial truck on January 14th. According to SFC Ken MacGregor, that's about 4 million illicit doses with a street value of over $50 million.
The driver, a 29-year-old man from Winnipeg, was carrying the shipment to a destination in Winnipeg. He was arrested by the CBSA and transferred to Manitoba RCMP, along with the suspected narcotics.
"This is an extraordinary seizure for the Canada Border Services Agency, and I congratulate the border agents who used their training and experience to stop the shipment from reaching its destination," said RCMP Inspector Joe Telus. "Without a doubt, their work has made an impact and will stem the availability of this incredibly dangerous drug - a drug that has already impacted so many lives."
Preliminary investigation has uncovered details regarding the transportation of these drugs, however, Inspector Telus said most of that information can't be shared publicly at this time. What he did confirm was that the shipment originated from the United States. RCMP, CBSA and other partners across Canada along with international law enforcement agencies continue to comb over every aspect of the truck's journey from the U.S. to Boissevain, as well as its intended final destination of Winnipeg, added Inspector Telus.
"The origin and size of the shipment leads us to believe that this involved organized crime at the local, national and international level," added Inspector Telus.
"While the drugs were destined for Winnipeg, we also strongly believe they would have been distributed to communities across Manitoba and possibly to locations across Western Canada and into Ontario," he added.
The driver has now been charged with Importation of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.