Wilbur
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Discovered last summer, it was kept under wraps until the bust could be made. Within days of revealing that border officers foiled a major shipment of hashish being smuggled into Halifax aboard a container ship last summer, another major drug bust- one of four this year - was in the works.
"It's been a very successful few months," said Alonzo MacNeil, chief of marine operations for the Canada Border Services Agency.
Last July 21, the CBSA called a news conference to trumpet their latest success: The discovery of 4,000 one-kilogram packets of hash hidden inside bales of cotton from Pakistan and headed to Toronto.
Concealed in pumpkins and yams
Four days later, border officers uncovered another major shipment, 626 kilograms of hashish, hash oil and marijuana concealed in a shipment of pumpkins, yams and sweet potatoes from Jamaica.
The shipment is estimated to be worth $19 million.
The drugs were found wrapped in plastic and stashed under a false floor in the bottom of a shipping container.
Details about the discovery weren't made public until yesterday because of the ongoing investigation. The drugs were removed and the container allowed to continue to its final destination.
Toronto police arrested two Ontario men after officers traced the shipment through to its final destination. Darrell Desroche, 42, of Lynden was arrested in August. Michael Owsienko, 45, of Winona was arrested earlier this month. Both men face trafficking and drug importation charges.
"When the last arrest was made, the police told us to go ahead and release the information," said MacNeil.
Uncovered 'anomalies'
The shipping container was selected for inspection based on its port of origin. It was unloaded in Halifax and run through a gamma-ray scanner, a type of x-ray machine, which uncovered "anomalies" in the floor of the container. That prompted a more detailed search of the container.
Officers unloaded the canned food, fresh produce and crackers then drilled through the floor. The drill brought up traces of hashish oil.
Officers then peeled back the container floor, and a second false floor to find the packages of drugs. The search uncovered 430 kilos of hashish oil, 196 kilos of marijuana and 550 grams of hash.
Canada Border Service Agency officers estimate that 5,658 kilograms of illegal drugs worth $127 million have been seized entering Halifax this year. Some of the earlier busts found drugs concealed in cheap furniture, wooden chessboards and large cotton bales.
Newshawk: user - <A HREF="420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking">420 Magazine</A>
Source: The Daily News
Pubdate: 30 October 2006
Copyright: 2006
Contact: info@hfxnews.ca
Website: The Daily News
"It's been a very successful few months," said Alonzo MacNeil, chief of marine operations for the Canada Border Services Agency.
Last July 21, the CBSA called a news conference to trumpet their latest success: The discovery of 4,000 one-kilogram packets of hash hidden inside bales of cotton from Pakistan and headed to Toronto.
Concealed in pumpkins and yams
Four days later, border officers uncovered another major shipment, 626 kilograms of hashish, hash oil and marijuana concealed in a shipment of pumpkins, yams and sweet potatoes from Jamaica.
The shipment is estimated to be worth $19 million.
The drugs were found wrapped in plastic and stashed under a false floor in the bottom of a shipping container.
Details about the discovery weren't made public until yesterday because of the ongoing investigation. The drugs were removed and the container allowed to continue to its final destination.
Toronto police arrested two Ontario men after officers traced the shipment through to its final destination. Darrell Desroche, 42, of Lynden was arrested in August. Michael Owsienko, 45, of Winona was arrested earlier this month. Both men face trafficking and drug importation charges.
"When the last arrest was made, the police told us to go ahead and release the information," said MacNeil.
Uncovered 'anomalies'
The shipping container was selected for inspection based on its port of origin. It was unloaded in Halifax and run through a gamma-ray scanner, a type of x-ray machine, which uncovered "anomalies" in the floor of the container. That prompted a more detailed search of the container.
Officers unloaded the canned food, fresh produce and crackers then drilled through the floor. The drill brought up traces of hashish oil.
Officers then peeled back the container floor, and a second false floor to find the packages of drugs. The search uncovered 430 kilos of hashish oil, 196 kilos of marijuana and 550 grams of hash.
Canada Border Service Agency officers estimate that 5,658 kilograms of illegal drugs worth $127 million have been seized entering Halifax this year. Some of the earlier busts found drugs concealed in cheap furniture, wooden chessboards and large cotton bales.
Newshawk: user - <A HREF="420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking">420 Magazine</A>
Source: The Daily News
Pubdate: 30 October 2006
Copyright: 2006
Contact: info@hfxnews.ca
Website: The Daily News
