NEWS RELEASE
THE CANADA BORDER SERVICES AGENCY
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The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Southern Ontario Region, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), London Detachment, announced today the seizure of 50 bricks of suspected cocaine at the Blue Water Bridge and the arrest of a Markham resident.
On Nov. 18, 2019, a lone male driving a tractor trailer arrived at the Blue Water Bridge Commercial Operations in Point Edward, Ontario, and was referred for a secondary inspection. During the examination, border services officers discovered an inconsistency in the weight of some of the boxes contained in the shipment. The boxes were examined and found to contain 50 packages of suspected cocaine, weighing approximately 50 kilograms total.
The CBSA seized the suspected cocaine and arrested the driver. The London RCMP Border Integrity Team attended and took custody of the subject and evidence.
The RCMP charged Guo Bing Zhao, 52, with:
- Importation of a controlled substance, contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and
- Possession for the purpose of trafficking, contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Mr. Zhao was remanded in custody and has a bail hearing scheduled for Dec. 12, 2019 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sarnia, Ontario. The investigation is ongoing.
“We are proud of our officers at the front line who work tirelessly to protect Canadians and keep drugs out of our communities. This seizure is another example of the ongoing cooperation that exists between the CBSA and the RCMP,” said Tom Rankin, District Director, St. Clair District Operations, Canada Border Services Agency.
"The RCMP is committed to working closely with its CBSA partners on enforcement strategies and border integrity initiatives to keep Canadians safe and illicit drugs out of our communities,” said Staff Sgt. Nolan Keogh, Acting Officer in Charge, London RCMP Detachment.
If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Toll free Line at 1-888-502-9060.
If you have information on suspicious or criminal activities, please contact your local police, the Ontario RCMP at 1-800-387-0020 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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