A drug ring that allegedly targeted women through a classified advertisement website has been disrupted, Canadian law enforcement officials say.
The RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced arrests Monday connected to an investigation involving drug smuggling out of Pearson International Airport.
According to authorities, the arrests are linked to a criminal operation that used online classified advertisements to recruit women to serve as drug mules.
Their probe began after two Canadian women were arrested in Nigeria for attempting to bring cannabis into the country.
“They had been recruited through ads posted on the classifieds website ‘LeoList,’ targeting women aged 20 to 65. The ads promised up to $20,000 in exchange for travelling in and out of Canada while carrying illicit drugs,” the agencies said in a news release.
“Following a nine-month investigation, RCMP and CBSA officers were able to intercept and disrupt the scheme before an additional illicit shipment of 29 kilograms of cannabis could leave Canada.”
Two men – a British national and a Toronto resident – have been arrested and face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit an indictable offense. They have been released on bail and are scheduled to appear in court Jan. 16.
“The RCMP and CBSA are urging the public to exercise caution when responding to online ads for job offers that promise large sums of money with little explanation and require international travel,” the agencies added.