Canadian border officials say they recently halted a Mississauga man who attempted to smuggle a large portion of cocaine into that country by way of Buffalo.
Jeff Walters, district director for the Canada Border Services Agency in Fort Erie, says the cocaine was seized as the driver attempted to enter Canada at the Peace Bridge.
When border staff because suspicious during initial questioning, the driver's truck was pulled aside for secondary inspection.
"The officers found anomalies in a refrigeration unit," Walters explained. "They removed the refrigeration unit and, with a fiberscope, they were able to see down the wall to some packages that would look out of place."
Further testing confirmed the contents of those packages was cocaine. The case was handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Because the case is still under investigation, Walters explained he could not share additional information. The driver's name was not released by CBSA.
Since January of 2015, Canadian authorities working at Southern Ontario border crossings have seized more than 420 pounds of cocaine.
"Looking and trying to detect contraband is one of the priorities of the Canada Border Services Agency," Walters said. "We take pride in the work that the officers do in contributing to those seizures."
