More than 6,330 kilograms of liquid and crystal methamphetamine have been seized in Metro Vancouver, cached in 419 canola oil jugs bound for export to Australia.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) made four separate busts between December and the end of May, one of which was the agency’s “single largest methamphetamine seizure to date,” according to Metro Vancouver District Pacific Region director Rahul Coelho.
“During the examinations, officers noticed anomalies in these shipments,” Coelho said in a Tuesday press conference.
“Our officers used a wide range of detection tools and technology for assistance. That includes x-ray imaging and detector dogs.”
Five Australian citizens have been arrested in connection with the operation, as well as one American citizen.
The first seizure took place on Dec. 13, 2022, at the Burnaby Container Examination Facility and Commercial Operations. Officers from the CBSA’s Metro Vancouver District Marine Operations seized 40 jugs containing 204 kg of crystal meth.
The second took place on Jan. 22 at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility and Commercial Operations. Officers found 180 jugs containing 2,907 kg of liquid methamphetamine — the largest bust in the organization’s history, with enough meth to fill 35 large suitcases, the CBSA said.
On May 3, at the same facility, officers found another 19 jugs with 325 kg of liquid meth. Later that month, they seized 180 more jugs carrying 2,898 kg of liquid meth.
The sum of all four seizures is more than triple the amount of all methamphetamine confiscated by the CBSA in the Pacific region between 2018 and 2022 in the course of 653 individual busts.
Domestic and international law enforcement agencies aided in the seizures, including the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Service, and the New Zealand Police and Customs Service.
“The methamphetamine was indeed destined for Australia and this represents to me the communities in Australia being protected by the work,” said Matthew Ciantar, director superintendent with the Australian Federal Police in North America.
“The harm that’s committed by methamphetamine use in Australia is pretty significant. We see 16 overdose-related deaths on a weekly basis in Australia.”
While Canadian officials were unsure how much the total amount of meth seized could have sold for in the Canadian black market, Ciantar said it would be in the “billions” of dollars on Australia’s streets.
The Australian Federal Police have more than 150 staff members in 33 countries around the world and have had a permanent presence in North America for the past 40 years.
In a news release, federal Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino thanked all of the agencies involved in “disrupting organized crime and protecting our communities from dangerous narcotics.”
The CBSA has notified the B.C. RCMP of the seizures for further investigation.
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