Canadian man allegedly tried to smuggle $8.7 million worth of cocaine into U.S. at Ambassador Bridge
(CBS DETROIT) - A Canadian man allegedly tried to bring about $8.7 million worth of cocaine into the United States, according to court documents.
At about 11:45 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 5, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit chose Gagandeep Singh, an Indian citizen and Canadian resident, for an inspection.
When officers told Singh to pull over, he allegedly ignored them and kept driving to the tolls, according to an affidavit written by Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jeffrey Richardson.
Officers then stopped Singh before the tolls. He was the only occupant in a Canadian commercial truck that was carrying agricultural equipment.
The affidavit says officers discovered the seal on the trailer doors had a label that said, "Apollo Health and Beauty Care," and didn't match the label on the paperwork.
In addition, there were no health or beauty products in the truck.
During the search, officers found a white powdery substance and discovered that it was about 290 kilograms of cocaine after a K9 officer alerted them to its presence.
The cocaine was placed inside 13 Home Depot boxes sealed with duct tape, according to the affidavit.
Scissors and duct tape, matching the tape used to seal the boxes, were found in the cab.
In the affidavit, Richardson wrote that the estimated value of the cocaine is about $8.7 million.
"Due to my training and experience I estimate the value of the seized suspected cocaine to be approximately $8,700,000," according to the affidavit. "Your affiant is aware through his training and experience that this amount of cocaine is consistent with large scale drug distribution activities."