Calgary man to stand trial on drug charges
By Delon Shurtz - Lethbridge Herald on August 18, 2023.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com A 27-year-old Calgary man accused of trying to smuggle drugs through the Coutts border late last year is set to stand trial, but not for another eight months.Gurkirat Singh, who pleaded not guilty in June to charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, will stand trial April 22-26 in Lethbridge court of justice.
The matter was in court Thursday where Singh’s lawyer confirmed the trial dates on charges of importing drugs and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. Subsequent charges of drug possession and failure to comply with release conditions are scheduled to return to court Sept. 21.
The initial charges stem from a search of a commercial transport truck after it arrived at the border Nov. 6, 2022 with a shipment of bananas. Border officials found 43 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the load of fruit, then referred the matter to the RCMP’s federal Integrated Border Enforcement for further investigation.
Singh was charged the following day and made his first court appearance on Nov. 17.
Two weeks after Singh was charged, another man was caught trying to smuggle drugs over the border.
On Nov. 21 officers with the Canada Border Services Agency seized 53 kg of cocaine following a search of a commercial transport vehicle at the Coutts border crossing. The drugs, worth about $5.3 million on the street, were hidden within a shipment of produce.
Jagroot Singh, 25, of Calgary was charged with single counts of drug importation and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. His matter returns to court next Thursday when his lawyer is expected to take a step.
Two other men facing identical charges in relation to similar circumstances earlier this year are also preparing to stand trial.
B.C. lawyer Pir Indar Singh Sahota appeared in court Thursday on behalf of his clients, Sukhdeep Singh Sandhu and Harmanpreet Singh Sidhu, and said a pre-trial conference has been scheduled for Sept. 20, at which time a trial will be scheduled. The matter will return to court the following day to confirm the dates.
The two men previously pleaded not guilty to charges of drug importation and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking, as well as smuggling under the Customs Act. They also elected to be tried by a judge in the Alberta Court of Justice.
The charges were laid after two men in a commercial vehicle tried to bring 245 kilograms of methamphetamine into Alberta on April 17.
The accused, who were released from custody April 20 on $1,000 bail and several conditions, reside in Surrey B.C. and were not required to attend court. Their lawyer, who also lives in Surrey, attended court by video link. Follow @DShurtzHerald on Twitter 4
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