7 kilos of meth found smuggled in spare tire at Woodstock car dealership

Woodstock police say they discovered seven kilograms of what are believed to be smuggled methamphetamine pills stashed in a spare tire last month after they got a tip from a Ford dealership.

Police ChiefMitch MacMillian confirmed the department got a call Feb. 6from the Corey Ford dealership about a suspicious tire they found in a new truck.

Corey Ford had already been alerted by Ford Canada that drugs were being smuggled into the country in Ford tires fromMexico.

"They checked the vehicle that was indicated and found that it did have what they believe to be a suspicious tire," MacMillan said.

When police checked the tire,they found drugs around the rim.

Ontario police investigating

While the drugs were found in New Brunswick, the OPP, the Canadian Border Security Agency and theSretde Qubec are handling theinvestigation.

The Ontario Provincial Police said late last month that a jointinvestigation was underway into illicit drugs from Mexico being brought across the Canadian border.

OPP Deputy Commissioner Rick Barnum said 180 kilograms of methamphetamine wasremoved from circulation, all of it found stuffed intospare tires. According to the OPP, the drugs had astreet value of about $4.5 million.

"In Canada, the use of methamphetamine is on the rise," Barnum said.

MacMillian said the investigation has been turned over to the OPP and the drugs will be destroyed.

"We don't want that on our streets," he said. "None of it whatsoever."