Ontario court finds Ranjit Singh guilty of importing and possessing 40 kg of cocaine for trafficking; sentencing hearing scheduled for February
An Indian-origin truck driver has been convicted by a Canadian court of smuggling 40 kg of cocaine, valued at up to 4.8 million Canadian dollars, into the country following a border crossing from the United States.
Ranjit Singh, 33, was found guilty of importing cocaine and possessing it for the purpose of trafficking by Ontario Superior Court Justice Scott Pratt. The verdict followed a three-week trial held in Sarnia in June.
The case dates back to April 26, 2024, when Canadian border authorities discovered two cardboard boxes containing approximately 40 kg of cocaine inside Singh’s truck trailer at the Blue Water Bridge, which connects Michigan in the US with Ontario in Canada.
The seized drugs were estimated to have a street value of between 3.6 million and 4.8 million Canadian dollars.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Singh had collected packages of cocaine from another truck at a Pilot Travel Centre in Channahon, Illinois. He subsequently purchased cardboard boxes from a Home Depot store in Shorewood, Illinois, before allegedly transferring the drugs to his trailer at a truck yard in Lansing, Michigan.
The prosecution maintained that the cocaine was concealed inside a pallet containing other goods before the vehicle travelled towards Canada
Singh acknowledged that the drugs were found in his trailer but denied knowing that he was transporting narcotics. He told the court that his employer had instructed him to purchase the boxes and leave them with another truck at the Michigan yard.
He also claimed that an unidentified man was present at the location and that he had left his vehicle unattended for 10 to 15 minutes.
Justice Pratt rejected Singh’s explanation, citing inconsistencies in his testimony. The judge concluded that Singh knew the cocaine was inside his trailer when he entered Canada.
Singh, who was granted bail of 200,000 Canadian dollars in May 2024, will remain out of custody until sentencing. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for February, according to media reports.
