It’s not the typical variety of Mexican street corn..Canada Border Services and the Mounties have announced what they say is the largest cocaine bust of the year at a border crossing in Manitoba..On July 14, agents seized 63 kilos of the white stuff stuffed in a commercial shipment of corn at the Emerson crossing, south of Winnipeg..In a news release, CBSA said a skilled dog detector services team “assisted” with the search and discovery of the suspected narcotics carrying a street value of more than $6 million..“This is the largest CBSA narcotics seizure at any Manitoba port of entry in the last five years,” it said. .Winnipeg resident, and driver of the truck containing the shipment, Varinder Kaushik, was arrested by the CBSA and taken into custody by the Manitoba RCMP, along with the suspected narcotics. .The RCMP subsequently charged the 31-year old with: importation of a controlled substance contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.Kaushik appeared in a Winnipeg Federal Court on July 19 and was released on conditions. .According to the RCMP, the bust was the work of a combined investigation between the two agencies..“This seizure shows that the combined efforts of enforcement agencies makes a difference. Any disruption to the flow of drugs into this country has far-reaching effects and has a significant impact on the safety of our communities,” said Rob Hill, RCMP Assistant Commissioner and the Manitoba Mounties’ Commanding Officer..“The RCMP remains committed to enforcing laws against illicit drugs to their full extent.”.THE CSBA processes travellers at 1,200 entry points across the country and at 39 international locations..In 2022, it executed 52,349 seizures, including 28,000 kilos of coke, 160,000 kilos of illicit cannabis products, 2,870 kilos of heroin and just 500 grams — about a pound — of fentanyl even though it accounts for about 75% of all overdose deaths in Canada..On Aug. 30 a prohibition on ‘novel fentanyl precursors’ goes into effect under the Controlled Substances Act. In 2022 about 20 people per day in Canada died of an opioid overdose.
