A 21-year-old man was allegedly caught at Pearson Airport attempting to smuggle $120,000 worth of cannabis out of the country last month.
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The RCMP says a Canadian air passenger landed at the Toronto airport on Oct. 21 with a scheduled departure flight to London in the United Kingdom.
An outbound baggage check by the Canadian Border Services Agency allegedly found 40 kilograms of cannabis hidden inside the man’s luggage.
The RCMP seized the drugs and charged Zubir Mahida with export contrary to section 11(2) of the Cannabis Act.
The street value of the cannabis that was allegedly seized is $120,000 and the maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the U.K. is up to 14 years in prison, the RCMP said.
Insp. John McMath, officer in charge of the RCMP Toronto Airport Detachment, said stopping the inbound and outbound flow of marijuana at the airport is a priority.
“Cannabis is decriminalized in Canada but it is illegal to carry any amount of cannabis on international flights and amounts exceeding personal use, on domestic flights,” he said. “This case highlights the fact that if a passenger chooses to smuggle cannabis, serious criminal drug smuggling charges will apply.”
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While cannabis is legal in Canada, it is illegal to take it out of the country.
“The CBSA is dedicated to stopping the illegitimate flow of cannabis into and out of Canada and we are proud to continue working with the RCMP and other law enforcement partners supporting their efforts in criminal investigations and prosecutions,” said Lisa Janes, CBSA regional director general in the Toronto area.