Three Punjabi youths nabbed in $25-mn Canada drug bust

New Delhi, October 27

The Canadian police on Wednesday arrested three Punjabi youths and seized drugs worth $25 million (Canadian dollars) from them, in the largest single contraband seizures by the police. As much as $70,000 in hard cash was also seized from the trio.

The role of two affluent Punjabi business families settled in Mississauga and Malton cities around Toronto is also under investigation for being drug distribution points.

The modus operandi 

Inspector Todd Custance told mediapersons that the modus operandi was to conceal the contraband in their commercial trucks plying between the US and Canada

The police seized 182 kg of methamphetamine, 166 kg of cocaine, and 38 kg of ketamine totalling 383 kg

Those arrested include Jaspreet Singh (28) from Brampton, Gurdeep Singh Gakhal (38) from Caledon, Ravinder Singh Boparai (27) from Mississauga, Khalilullah Amin (46) from Caledon and Wray Ip (27) from Richmond Hill (US). The arrested youths were a part of a five-member drug trafficking gang.

Inspector Todd Custance told mediapersons that the modus operandi of the traffickers was to conceal the contraband in their commercial trucks plying between the US and Canada.

The drugs were being brought to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and sold continuously since November 2021. The drop and distribution points included Friends Furniture in Mississauga, owned by a Punjabi and North King Logistics trucking company in Malton city, also owned by a Punjabi.

Both Friends Furniture and North King Logistics are known to be rich Punjabis in the GTA having business in thousands of millions dollars. They have been reportedly flooding media houses, including Punjabi radio programmes and newspapers, with advertisements besides taking active part in religious programmes of the community, according to information provided by Punjabi media sources.

The police started surveillance of the accused over 11 months ago and named its project Zucaritas. The Peel Regional Police of Toronto busted the gang with the help of the US police. — IANS