Trial begins for drug-smuggling suspects

A trial, following jury selection began Monday for a husband and wife accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into Canada at the Coutts border crossing in December of 2017.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) seized 84 bricks of cocaine, weighing 99 kilograms from the cab of a truck carrying a load of produce from California into Alberta.  At the time, it was the largest cocaine seizure recorded by the CBSA in Alberta’s history.  RCMP reported that the drugs were worth between $6.5 million and $8 million, depending how they are broken down for sale.  That would provide on the street between 100,000 and 200,000 hits, according to a media spokesperson for the CBSA.

Gurminder and Kirandeep Toor were each charged with drug smuggling and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking.  They each pleaded not guilty to both charges.  The court, under Justice Johnna Kubik formed a 12-person jury, along with two alternates, and the trial began Monday afternoon.  The trial, which was originally scheduled to run last year but delayed due to COVID-19 is estimated to run until April 30.