June 02, 2007  Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Canadian marine officers find 19 kilos of cocaine that were thrown from a boat that sped away

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that its officers intercepted 19 kilos of cocaine. On June 2, 2007, members of the CBSA's Marine Enforcement Team observed a small pleasure craft entering Canadian waters from the United States on the south side of Saturna Island. The captain refused to slow down for CBSA verification and before the vessel sped off, officers saw one of the passengers throw a suitcase into the water.

The officers retrieved the suitcase from the water and a detector dog indicated the possible presence of narcotics. They found 19 vacuum-sealed packs of suspected contraband inside that was later identified as cocaine. The drugs were turned over to the RCMP Vancouver Island Drug Section for investigation.

"This seizure is yet another demonstration of the vigilance of our border services officers as well as the commitment of Canada's New Government to tackling crime," said the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety. "Once again Canadians can be proud of the contributions made by our law enforcement agencies to keep our communities safe and drugs off our streets."

There were three persons on the vessel: an adult male and female, as well as a boy who appeared to be approximately 12 years of age. The suspect vessel is described as a 16-foot, white-hulled speed boat (unknown make) with no canvas or cover. The vessel had starboard hand controls, an inboard motor and a transom with no visible auxiliary motor. There were four back-to-back seats, with two facing the bow and two facing the stern of the vessel.

The RCMP and the CBSA are actively investigating this significant cocaine seizure and are following up on several investigative leads. Any witness or person having information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Victoria RCMP at 250-380-6261 or to make an anonymous call to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.