Ontario (Canada): A 33-year-old Indian-origin Sikh truck driver has been convicted by a court in Canada’s Ontario province for importing nearly 40 kg of cocaine, estimated to be worth up to $4.8 million, into the country through the Blue Water Bridge in April 2024.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Scott Pratt found Ranjit Singh guilty of importing a controlled substance and possessing it for the purpose of trafficking. The verdict followed a three-week trial held in Sarnia in June.
Singh had denied both charges, maintaining that he had no knowledge of the cocaine found inside his trailer. However, Justice Pratt rejected his account, pointing to several inconsistencies in his testimony.
How Was The Cocaine Allegedly Transported Into Canada?
During the trial, the Crown argued that Singh collected bricks of cocaine from another truck at a Pilot Travel Centre in Channahon, Illinois.
He then allegedly purchased cardboard boxes from a Home Depot store in Shorewood, Illinois, packed the drugs inside them and loaded the boxes onto his trailer at a yard on Sanders Road in Lansing, Michigan.
According to the prosecution, the boxes were subsequently concealed inside a pallet containing other goods before the truck headed towards Canada.
What Did The Truck Driver Tell The Court?
Singh denied collecting or knowingly transporting the drugs. He acknowledged that cocaine was found in his trailer but told the court that he had neither been given the narcotics nor known how they had ended up there.
In his testimony, Singh said the owner of his company had instructed him to purchase the Home Depot boxes and leave them near another truck at the Michigan yard.
He also claimed to have seen an unidentified person at the location. Singh told the court that he had left his truck unattended for around 10 to 15 minutes while using the washroom.
However, Justice Pratt accepted the Crown’s case, finding that Singh had most likely obtained the cocaine from another driver at the travel centre.
The judge said the precise time when Singh received the drugs was not decisive. He was satisfied that the cocaine was in Singh’s possession when he entered Canada and that the driver knew it was inside the trailer.
When Will Ranjit Singh Be Sentenced?
Singh, who was released on bail of $200,000 in early May 2024, will remain out on bail until sentencing.
The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February.
