Ontario man acquitted of drug smuggling

$5 million worth of cocaine found in semi truck, trailer at border

An Ontario man accused of trying to smuggle nearly 100 kilograms of cocaine — $5 million worth — into Alberta two years ago is not going to jail.

Parmjeet Singh Sandhu was acquitted Friday in Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench on charges of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking and drug smuggling.

Reading from his written decision, Justice W. A. Tilleman said the Crown’s case was based on circumstantial evidence, and despite contradictions in the accused’s testimony during trial in September, his evidence raised enough reasonable doubt to acquit him.

During Sandhu’s trial in September, court was told border officers searched a semi truck and trailer from B.C. after it arrived at the Coutts border on the morning of Oct. 10, 2016. They searched a closet located in the truck’s sleeper where they found a black duffel bag containing packages of cocaine. They also found additional packages hidden behind the duffel bag, and behind a microwave oven, under a mattress, in two cardboard boxes and in two “jockey boxes” or containers located on the driver and passenger sides of the semi.

Sandhu, 32, was charged, along with Jasmail Singh Sander, after the two men arrived at the border with a load of produce. Charges against Sander, however, were stayed by the Crown after he died last June.

Although the trial proceeded against Sandhu, Edmonton lawyer Brian Hurley maintained his client didn’t know there were drugs in the truck, and accused Sander of attempting to bring the drugs into Canada.

However, Crown prosecutor Dennis Hrabcak said the only reasonable conclusion is that Sandhu was part of the smuggling operation and had to know there were drugs in the truck, which the two men had driven for several days through the U.S., making several stops on the way to Canada.

He said Sandhu was rarely away from the truck long enough for Sander to accept a load of drugs without his codriver noticing, and the drugs were hidden in places Sandhu couldn’t avoid noticing and to which he had access.

Tilleman disagreed, however, and said the drugs were hidden in places in which Sandhu would not have reason to look, such as under Sander’s bed or in his closet.

“The drugs were not stored in plain view,” Tilleman said.

In fact, he suggested some of the drugs were hidden so well, customs officers never found them during their search. Some 17 kilograms of cocaine were found nearly a year later by the owner of the truck.

Tilleman said the drugs could have been put in the truck during a stop in Shelby, Mont., where Sandhu had a shower. When he returned to the truck, Sander drove to the border while Sandhu slept.