Alberta border guards seized hundreds of pounds of cocaine from two trucks trying to enter Canada from the United States this summer, officials say. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says officers at the Coutts border crossing in southern Alberta stopped one truck on July 26 and the second on July 31, intercepting a total of 475 pounds (215.5 kilograms) of the drug. The first truck was referred for a second examination, during which officers found 80 bricks of suspected cocaine hidden within four boxes among the declared load. The driver and a passenger were arrested. The CBSA says a total of 200 pounds (90.94 kilograms) of cocaine was seized from the vehicle. The second truck was also referred to a second examination, at which time officers detected 107 bricks of cocaine. Officers found a total of 275 pounds (124.6 kilograms) of suspected cocaine. The driver was arrested. “These significant cocaine seizures at the Coutts port of entry demonstrate the vigilance, expertise and dedication of our border services officers in preventing illegal drugs and other contraband from entering Canada and causing harm to our communities,” said Janalee Bell-Boychuk, The regional director general of the CBSA Prairie Region. Last year, CBSA officers in Alberta made 1,292 seizures of illegal narcotics, including 2,324 pounds (1,054 kilograms) of cocaine.
