A Canadian truck driver, Sukjindr Singh, 29, of Peel Region, was apprehended on October 15 in Port Huron, Michigan, after U.S. authorities discovered more than 370 pounds of cocaine hidden in his vehicle. The seizure, with an estimated street value of $16.5 million, represents one of the largest drug busts in the history of the St. Clair County Drug Task Force. Singh, who was stopped near the Blue Water Bridge connecting Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, is now facing charges of controlled substance delivery exceeding 1,000 grams. His bond was set at $500,000, and he could face a life sentence and a $1 million fine if convicted.
This recent bust underscores a troubling trend of Canadian truckers implicated in high-profile drug trafficking cases at the Canada-U.S. border. In August, 42-year-old trucker Juli Sabosan Sathiaseelan was detained at the same bridge with 266 pounds of cocaine. The hidden drugs were uncovered following a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection. Sathiaseelan’s bond was set at $3 million as investigations continued.
September saw another case involving Canadian driver Naseeb Chisty, 49, from Etobicoke, Ontario. He was stopped on I-94 in Indiana, where officers found nearly 300 pounds of cocaine hidden in his trailer. Pulled over initially for a routine motor carrier violation, a K-9 unit later detected drugs, leading to Chisty’s arrest on charges of cocaine trafficking and possession.
Additional incidents this year reveal a disturbing pattern. In February, Canadian driver Gagandeep Singh was arrested at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit with 661 pounds of cocaine valued at $8.7 million. In May, Jasbir Singh, 40, of Paris, Ontario, was detained after 132 pounds of cocaine were found in his truck, also crossing into Canada from Detroit. Another substantial haul occurred when Arshdeep Singh, 23, of Quebec City, was arrested in Michigan with nearly 600 pounds of suspected heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines.
The recent surge in cross-border drug trafficking cases involving Canadian truckers highlights the complexities of maintaining security along major trade routes and raises questions about the systemic pressures and vulnerabilities within the trucking industry.