Nearly 100 kg of cocaine nabbed in largest seizure ever at Alberta border crossings

Border guards at Coutts in southern Alberta discovered 84 bricks of cocaine hidden in a semi-trailer truck in what officials say is the biggest ever cocaine seizureat U.S.-Alberta crossings.

Officers selected the truck for inspection on Dec. 2 just after midnight, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) revealed Friday.

The truck was supposed to be carrying produce from California to a business in Alberta, but CBSA officers discovered 84 bricks of cocaineweighing 99.5 kg with a street value of up to $8 million.

The first eight bricks of cocaine were found hidden in a microwave and the rest were found hidden in and under the living quarters, RCMP said in a release.

"Had this quantity of illicit narcotics made its way into our communities undetected, the impact could have been devastating," said CBSA regional director general Kim R. Scoville.

"The CBSA is truly Canada's first line of defence, and this record seizure is a prime example of how frontline officers are actively protecting Canadians every day."

The truck driver and a passenger were arrested and turned over to the RCMP.

Gurminder Singh Toor, 31, and Kirandeep Kaur Toor, 26, both of California, were charged with four counts each under theControlled Drugs and Substances Act.

They were set to appear in court in Lethbridge on Friday.

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