VANCOUVER — Border agents in Metro Vancouver have arrested a truck driver following a massive drug bust involving the attempted smuggling of opium from the United States into Canada. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed that approximately 112 kilograms of opium were seized at the Pacific Highway Truck Crossing during a routine secondary inspection on January 9.
The discovery was made when border officers noticed “anomalies” within the truck’s trailer as it arrived at the Vancouver-area port of entry. Upon closer inspection, agents found cardboard boxes that appeared inconsistent with the rest of the commercial shipping manifest. A specialized detector dog was deployed to the scene and quickly alerted officers to the presence of narcotics hidden inside the suspicious packaging.
Following the seizure, the truck driver was taken into custody and subsequently handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Federal Serious and Organized Crime unit. While the driver’s identity has not yet been released, officials confirmed that the narcotics have been processed as evidence and the vehicle has been impounded.
The CBSA stated that the investigation is ongoing as they work to determine the origin of the shipment and any potential links to organized crime syndicates operating across the BC-US border. This seizure represents one of the larger opium intercepts in recent months at the Pacific Highway crossing, highlighting continued efforts to intercept high-value narcotics entering the Lower Mainland.
