Toronto couple charged in massive bust with over 520 kg of drugs worth $13 million
A Toronto couple is facing serious charges after police and border agents seized a staggering 520 kilograms of illicit drugs worth a combined $13 million in two related busts.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued joint press releases on Wednesday providing details of an investigation that began on March 4, when a truck allegedly laden with drugs was attempting to make the Detroit-Windsor crossing via the Ambassador Bridge.
According to police and border services, the driver of the semi-truck was referred for a secondary inspection, where officers located a jaw-dropping 300 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine in a scene that looked like it was pulled straight from Breaking Bad.
The truck driver was arrested, handed over to the RCMP, and subsequently released, though the investigation had just begun.
Knowing that nobody just stumbles into possessing 300 kilos of meth, Windsor RCMP Border Integrity (BI), with assistance from the CBSA Intelligence and Enforcement Operations Division (IEOD), launched an in-depth dive into the origins of the meth, leading them to even more drugs.
Windsor RCMP BI identified a Toronto couple as the alleged culprits, claiming that 31-year-old Marvin Watson was suspected of organizing the initial shipment, and his partner, 33-year-old Maria Kiguru, was also believed to be involved.
Following that initial traffic stop, investigators say they encountered evidence suggesting the couple were moving more than just meth — a belief confirmed when police allegedly observed Watson arrive at his residence in a moving van and later stopped the vehicle, claiming to have uncovered 120 kilograms of cocaine in the van.
Search warrants executed by RCMP with assistance from the CBSA at the couple's Toronto residence allegedly uncovered another 100 kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of opium, and two kilograms of MDMA.
The combined 523 kilos of illicit drugs (and seven kilograms of marijuana that hardly seems worth mentioning) are believed to be worth $13 million in street value.
Officers also claim to have found evidence of possession of proceeds of crime and money laundering.
Watson and Kiguru were arrested at the scene and charged with a laundry list of offences, including importation of methamphetamine and money laundering.
Watson remains in police custody, while Kiguru has been released on bail and is awaiting her next court date.
CNW Group/Canada Border Services Agency
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