Two Sunwing employees among 11 accused of drug smuggling

TORONTO — Two Sunwing Airlines employees have been accused of smuggling drugs from various Caribbean countries into Canada in a drug-trafficking ring that the RCMP allege operated out of Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.

The Mounties said Friday that raids conducted in the Greater Toronto Area earlier this week infiltrated several groups, including the airport operation, that allegedly trafficked cocaine, fentanyl and other drugs.

As a result, the Sunwing employees and nine others are facing more than 40 drugrelated charges between them, investigators said.

The airline workers have been with the company several years and are charged with attempting to import cocaine and trafficking cocaine, RCMP said.

Sunwing said in a statement that the two employees have been suspended without pay “pending the completion of the legal proceedings.”

The airline also said the employees’ access to Sunwing offices and all other company and airport facilities has been revoked along with their security clearance.

“The safety and security of both our employees and our customers remains our main priority and we have offered our full co-operation to the RCMP to ensure that this matter was brought to a successful conclusion,” it said. Pearson airport declined to comment. Staff Sgt. Blair Fuhrman said the trafficking ring was an “ongoing enterprise.”

Fuhrman said drugs were allegedly brought onto Sunwing planes in Caribbean countries and taken to Toronto. He said two of the airline’s employees then allegedly took the drugs off the aircraft.

Raids were conducted in Hamilton, Toronto, Durham, Brantford and Kitchener, and officers allegedly seized 10 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.3 kilograms of heroin, 30 kilograms of cannabis and one kilogram of meth.