(WWJ) Two people are facing charges after nearly 280 pounds of cocaine was seized from a semi truck last month at the Ambassador Bridge, according to Canadian authorities.
The Canada Border Services Agency said its officers made the seizure on September 11, as the commercial truck was arriving in Windsor from Detroit.
After being referred for a secondary examination by a CBSA officer, border services officers used a detector dog to detect and seize 127 kg. (or 279.987 lbs.) of suspected cocaine in the trailer.
Two Ontario men: 61-year-old Vasyl Galychyn, and 41-year-old Anton Chernyshov, were arrested, and the drugs transferred by CBSA officers to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Galychyn and Chernyshov are both facing charges in Canada of importation of cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Their case is pending before the Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor, Ontario.
“This seizure at the Ambassador Bridge shows the important work our border services officers do every day to keep illegal drugs out of Canada," said Michael Prosia, Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, CBSA. "Their experience, attention to detail and use of technology helped stop a significant amount of cocaine from entering the country. Working with our law enforcement partners, we are disrupting cross-border drug trafficking and protecting Canadian communities.”
Officials said that, so far this year, CBSA’s Southern Ontario Region has seized 1.67 metric tonnes of cocaine. That's a little over 3,681 pounds.
Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is asked to call the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060, or contact their local police.
