Trucker released after being duped into smuggling more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana into Michigan
From M Live:
A trucker has been released from federal custody after convincing authorities he had no idea he was hauling more than a ton of marijuana when his rig crossed into the U.S. from Canada last month, but his detention cost the India-native an opportunity to become a Canadian citizen.
Long-haul trucker Tasbir Singh was tricked into smuggling nearly 2,270 pounds of marijuana worth nearly $3.6 million from a nondescript warehouse in North York, Ontario, Canada, located about an hour north of Toronto, into the U.S. by way of Detroit, where Singh was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on July 7.
Charged in federal court with illegal importing and possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, Singh, 32, who has no prior criminal record, might have been facing a minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
Based on evidence and support provided by Singh’s employer, Best Care Transport, and the Detroit-based defense attorney Singh’s family hired, the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to dismiss the charges and release Singh on July 23. The investigation into who was actually behind the shipment is ongoing.
It’s since been determined by Singh’s attorney and his trucking company that sophisticated smugglers fraudulently placed a shipping order using legitimate paperwork, company names and customs clearance documentation.
The smuggler ordered a truck using the name of an existing freight brokerage company that specializes in connecting trucking outfits with shippers who need to move freight.
They were “very professional” and used all the “right lingo,” said Best Care Transport Operations Manager Rose Bajwa. She believes the fraudsters must have known the trucing company frequently runs trucks between Ontario and Ohio.
The trucking company noticed that the broker was using a generic Gmail email address, rather than one with a company-specific domain. When questioned about that, the customer just said it was his personal email address and provided all of the other paperwork required. The load was initially quoted to Columbus, Ohio, but once the freight was loaded, the bill of lading that lists the shipping details said it was destined for Wooster, Ohio. Bajwa said the customer claimed they were opening a new business there.
Singh never laid eyes on his cargo, listed in paperwork as “compression spring.” According to his employer and statements Singh made to investigators, the cargo was loaded into his box trailer and sealed. Transport seals cannot be removed without being broken and are used in shipping to ensure cargo isn’t disturbed during transit.
Bajwa is convinced the person who contracted Singh has prior professional trucking industry experience.
“What I can say is the people who committed this fraud were experts,” defense attorney Ellen Michaels said. “They were pros.”
Once Singh attempted to enter the U.S. at the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, CBP officers detected an “anomaly” and pulled the truck aside for further inspection. Using X-rays, they determined there was more than just compression springs on the pallets. Tucked inside were 10 boxes per pallet filled with vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana.
“We were baffled,” Bajwa said. “Something like this has never happened to us.”
She said the company’s number one goal was get the driver released from jail.
Singh, a married father of an 18-month-old child, is a citizen of India but has lived in Canada for nearly a decade and was scheduled to become a naturalized citizen of Canada while he was jailed in the U.S., according to his attorney. His release date didn’t come soon enough and Singh missed his citizenship appointment.
Michaels said Best Care Transport worked closely with her to compile the records and prove that Singh is likely innocent of any crime.
Local police in Ontario said they have no pending investigation into the matter.
Michaels said Singh’s arrest should serve as a warning to transportation companies to take greater safety measures to ensure the legitimacy of the cargo they haul.
“Canadian-grown marijuana has been routinely smuggled in commercial trucks from Canada into the U.S. where it has been distributed for the last 20 years,” the dismissed criminal complaint against Singh said. “The distribution areas for this marijuana are typically in the midwestern and southeastern areas within the U.S. where large amounts of highly potent marijuana are difficult to purchase.”
Customs officials have reported an exponential boom in marijuana seizures at the Michigan border in recent years.