Drug smuggling suspects to be tried by judge
Two men accused of smuggling drugs into Canada at the Coutts border crossing last year have decided how they want to be tried. Gurpreet Singh Cheema and Gurpreet Singh have not yet entered pleas to their charges, but Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court they elected to be tried by a Court of Queen’s Bench judge without a jury, but with a preliminary hearing.
A date for the preliminary hearing, which is typically held to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant a trial, may be scheduled when the matter is back in provincial court March 13. The preliminary hearing is expected to run three days.
On Sept. 2, border officers in Coutts searched a commercial truck as it entered Canada. The officers discovered 60 packages of cocaine, weighing 69 kilograms, hidden in a load of TVs.
Cheema, 29, and 28-year-old Singh are charged with importing drugs and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking.
The two men made their first court appearance in Lethbridge provincial court Sept. 12 and were released with several conditions.
Two days after their arrest at Coutts, officers made another bust after a commercial truck with a load of novelty items destined for market in Alberta was searched. Concealed within the load were 34 packages of cocaine, weighing 40.45 kilograms.
The driver, 34-year-old Tejinderpal Singh Sandhu, was charged with importing drugs and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. Sandhu appeared in Lethbridge provincial court Sept. 16 and was released from custody with conditions. He previously elected to be tried by Queen’s Bench judge and jury with a preliminary hearing, which is scheduled to run in November and December.
Border officers uncovered yet a third shipment of drugs Oct. 10 when a commercial vehicle hauling produce to an Alberta business was searched and more than 80 bricks of cocaine were found hidden throughout the cab of the vehicle. The total weight of the seizure was 92.74 kg.
Jasmail Singh Sander, 53, of B.C., and Parmjeet Singh Sandhu, 31, of Ontario, were charged with drug possession for the purpose of trafficking and importing drugs. They are scheduled for a preliminary hearing in August.
In all three drug busts the commercial trucks were operating for commercial trucking companies based in British Columbia, officials reported.
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