An unidentified traveller has been arrested in Canada after being caught at the Toronto Pearson International Airport with 44 kilogrammes of hashish and 13 kilogrammes of cocaine.
The Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) announced the seizure in a statement.
According to the agency, the traveller, who has yet to be officially named by authorities, was flying out of the Toronto Pearson International Airport to Sri Lanka when CBSA detected the substance in the passenger’s luggage.
The suspect was subsequently arrested by law enforcement officers before being transferred into the custody of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
“CBSA officers at #YYZ seized 44 kg of hash and 13 kg of cocaine from a traveller’s luggage that was destined for Sri Lanka. The individual was arrested and handed over to the @RCMPONT along with the seized contraband,” the agency said.
The CTV News reported that a spokesperson for the CBSA, in a statement, said that the agency’s officers assessed risk, intelligence and signs of deception to determine if further examination was required during checks.
“CBSA officers use a risk management approach, intelligence information, detection tools and look for indicators of deception to determine if a more in-depth examination is required,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, no details about charges or the suspect were immediately available.
It is not the first time that a traveller has been nabbed at the same airport for carrying prohibited products. The Peoples Gazette reported in April that an unnamed Nigerian national was caught with over 40 kilograms of undeclared jerky of chicken and spiced grilled meat (kilishi).
In the same month, a Nigerian woman Nnenna Oketa was criminally charged after she was caught during an attempt to smuggle seven fraudulent passports into Canada through the Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The Gazette also reported in May that six baggage got intercepted and ramp workers were arrested by the RCMP at the airport in connection with the alleged bag tag switching cases last year.
