Indian truck driver caught in $8.7 million drug bust at US-Canada border

A “white powdery” substance worth 290 kilograms, tested positive for cocaine in practice.

Toronto: An Indian truck driver from Canada has been charged with attempting to bring $8.7 million worth of cocaine into the US, according to court documents.

Gagandeep Singh, a citizen of India and resident of Canada, was charged with “intent to distribute controlled substances” during his first appearance in Detroit on Wednesday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit asked Singh to stop for an inspection around 11:45 p.m. Monday, CTV News reported, citing documents.

“(The accused) ignored the officers and attempted to continue with the toll before being stopped by CBP officers just before the toll,” the complaint said.

Agents were “alerted to the odor of controlled substances” by a Border Patrol canine K-9, after which they found 13 cardboard boxes sealed with duct tape inside the shipping trailer.

A “white powdery” substance worth 290 kilograms, tested positive for cocaine in practice.

“Due to my training and experience, I estimate the value of the suspected cocaine seized to be approximately $8,700,000,” Jeffrey Richardson, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, wrote in the complaint.

Richardson claimed the seizure is “consistent with large-scale drug distribution activities.”

He told the court that scissors and duct tape, matching the tape used to seal the boxes, were found in the cabin of the transport.

According to officers, Singh's manifest indicated he was transporting “agricultural equipment,” but the seal on the trailer was for a Canadian healthcare and beauty company.