Edmonton driver charged after 67 kg of cocaine found in truck at Coutts border crossing

An Edmonton resident is facing drug smugging charges after millions of dollars worth of cocaine was seized coming into Canada from the United States.

The seizure happened Monday as Canada Border Services Agency officers at the Coutts port of entry in southern Alberta were carrying out a secondary examination of a commercial truck coming up from the States.

During the search, RCMP said border guards found a duffle bag containing nearly 67 kg of cocaine.

The cocaine was packaged in bricks and had Amazon labels inside the cling wrap surrounding the bundles.

According to Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams, a kilo of cocaine goes for $50,000 to $70,000, depending on where in the province it is — but is typically sold on the street for $100 a gram, regardless of location.

At those rates, the Coutts seizure stopped approximately $6.7 millions worth of cocaine from being sold in the province.

1:55 Coutts border crossing drug bust nets arrest, 100 kg of cocaine

• Coutts border crossing drug bust nets arrest, 100 kg of cocaine
• CBSA intercepts nearly $3 million in drugs from trucks entering Canada at Coutts
• Sentence hearing date set for major cocaine importing case
• Traffic through Coutts border-crossing slows significantly
• Record drug seizure at Alberta border crossing nets 84 bricks of suspected cocaine

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The Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) in Alberta — a joint force operation between the RCMP federal policing northwest region, CBSA and Calgary Police Service — was alerted.

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IBET’s mandate is to enhance border integrity and security along the shared border, between designated ports of entry, by identifying, investigating and interdicting persons, organizations and goods that are involved in criminal activities.

“Protecting our borders from illegal drug trafficking is not a task any one agency can tackle alone,” said Supt. Sean Boser, the officer in charge of federal serious organized crime and border integrity in the RCMP northwest region.

“Our strength lies in collaboration, and together, we are sending a clear message: Canada is not open for criminal business.”

An investigation was launched into the driver, who was arrested, and the seized drugs.

Trieu Thanh Ngoc Le, 49, of Edmonton was arrested and charged with:
• Importing a controlled substance contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• Possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• Smuggling into Canada contrary to section 159 of the Customs Act

Le made an appearance at the courthouse in Lethbridge on Thursday.