Canadian man arrested for trying to smuggle five kilograms of pot across border
24-year-old faces felony charge after $30,000 worth of weed found during vehicle check.
A 24-year-old man from Canada was arrested in New York State last week after customs officers found US$24,000 ($30,240) worth of marijuana inside the trunk of his vehicle.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Massena, N.Y. Port of Entry discovered the would-be smuggled cannabis after their suspicions were raised during a primary check of the vehicle.
Because of the inconsistency, the vehicle underwent a preliminary search, during which officers found vacuum-sealed packages of cannabis in the trunk.
With that discovery, the vehicle was then subjected to a third check, a secondary examination. The complete physical inspection of the trunk revealed a total of 11 packages containing a green leafy substance that field-tested positive for the properties of marijuana.
Estimated to be worth about $24,000 ($30,240), the cannabis was seized.
Following processing by the CBP, the driver and marijuana were turned over to the New York State Police. The driver faces a felony charge of criminal possession of cannabis and a misdemeanour charge of operating a vehicle while registration is suspended.
According to Stephen Bilkis & Associates, the felony charge is the most serious “of the six possession of marijuana crimes in the New York Penal Code .” The count carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years while the minimum is either 3.5 years or seven years, “depending on whether or not you have a prior felony conviction,” the law firm reports.
As for the misdemeanour charge, information from the New York State Senate notes that for a first offence, the top penalty upon conviction is a US$50 ($63) to US$100 ($126) fine, imprisonment not exceeding 30 days or both.
“Our CBP officers continue to maintain their enforcement focus even amidst the continued border restrictions,” Port Director Robert Dwyer says in the agency statement.
“This latest case serves as a reminder that possessing and transporting marijuana over the international border remains illegal under U.S. federal law and those who violate the law will be held accountable,” Dwyer emphasizes.
Last spring, a Canadian resident was also turned over to New York State Police for suspected criminal possession of marijuana after being found at the border with just 7.8 pounds (3.5 kilograms) of cannabis.
The next month, on April Fool’s Day, another Canadian man was charged with criminal possession of cannabis after police in New York State found just shy of 100 kilograms of weed in their car.
Follow us on Instagram
Connect with us on Linkedin