Indo-Canadian truck driver accused of drug supply, cocaine worth $8.7 million seized

An Indian truck driver from Canada has been charged with attempting to bring cocaine worth approximately $8.7 million into the US, according to court documents. Gagandeep Singh, a citizen of India and resident of Canada, was charged with distribution of a controlled substance.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit asked Singh to stop for inspection at around 11.45 pm last night.

The defendant ignored officers and attempted to proceed through the toll, despite being stopped by CBP officers, the criminal complaint states.

Authorities found 13 cardboard boxes sealed with duct tape in a transport trailer after a Border Police dog, K-9, alerted them to the smell of controlled substances.

A white powdery substance worth 290 kilograms was found, which was cocaine.

"I estimate, based on my training and experience, that the street value of the suspected cocaine seized is approximately $8,700,000," Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jeffrey Richardson wrote in the complaint.

Richardson alleged that the seizure was 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 cab of the transport.

According to officials, Singh's manifest indicated he was carrying agricultural equipment, but the stamp on the trailer was for a Canadian health and beauty company.