A Port Coquitlam man has been charged after Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at Calgary International Airport intercepted 12 kg of pressed cocaine and a tracking device during a routine outbound baggage exam.The incident occurred on November 17, when CBSA officers were conducting inspections of luggage bound for the United Kingdom. The suitcase, destined for Heathrow Airport, was seized, and its owner, 29-year-old Justin Harry Carl Beck, was arrested before boarding his flight.The Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) in Alberta, a joint task force involving the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, CBSA, and Calgary Police Service, launched a criminal investigation. Beck now faces charges of exporting a controlled substance under section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking under section 5(2). He is scheduled to appear in Alberta Court of Justice in Calgary on May 6.“This seizure is a testament to the exemplary work and investigative expertise shown by CBSA Border Services Officers at Calgary International Airport,” said Janalee Bell-Boychuk, Regional Director General of the CBSA Prairie Region. “Through our key partnerships with the RCMP and the Calgary Police Service, the CBSA works to disrupt those attempting to smuggle illegal drugs across our borders and hold them accountable.”RCMP Supt. Sean Boser emphasized the broader implications of the case. “By working together, we prevented this individual from importing an illicit substance into a foreign country where it had the potential to cause significant harm to others, all for the sake of turning a profit.”Supt. Jeff Bell of the Calgary Police Service noted the critical role of collaboration in combating cross-border drug trafficking.“By intercepting these drugs before they could reach their destination, we have ensured a safer community, both locally and abroad,” he said.
