Following the discovery of an illicit cross-border trafficking network in Ontario, Canada, several truck drivers of Indian descent were taken into custody. It was one of the “most significant drug seizures in a single investigation in Ontario,” according to a statement released by the Canada Border Services Agency on July 23. The officials also found roughly 1.7 tonnes of illegal drugs valued at $139 million, including suspected cocaine, methamphetamine, and opium.
In order to “disrupt the importation and trafficking of illegal drugs with a nexus to the international border,” the agency launched Project Bay, a cross-border operation, in January 2025. The group was utilizing commercial vehicles to smuggle enormous amounts of opium, cocaine, and methamphetamine between Canada and the US, according to investigations.
“The inquiry showed that the commercial transportation industry uses a broker-style approach. It used pre-existing relationships to make it easier for illegal substances to flow across borders, including arranging for drivers to knowingly transport illegal goods within legal supply chains, according to the agency. 19 suspects were taken into custody after police raided 22 addresses in various parts of Ontario, including Windsor, LaSalle, Corunna, Brampton, Markham, and Caledon.
Gagandeep Thindal, Simranjit Singh, Kanwarpal Kular, Jatinderpal Singh, Jaswinder Sohi, Tejvinder Sandhu, Harjvinder Sandhu, Tarminder Singh, Gundeep Tariwal, Mehakpreet Singh, and Karandeep Singh were the Indian nationals named in the case.
973 kg of cocaine, 660 kg of methamphetamine, 49 kg of opium, and 230 oxycodone tablets were found by the police during the investigation. Along with 17 weapons, including an anti-tank rifle, they also found cash, expensive jewelry, money counters, a group vehicle, 43 cell phones, and six laptops.
The case included operational and investigative cooperation from a number of US organizations, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
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