Major $40 Million Drug Bust in Canada Involves Two Indian-Origin Suspects

November 2 :
Two Canadian men of Indian descent, Vanshpreet Singh, 27, and Manpreet Singh, 36, were taken into custody after a massive narcotics bust valued at more than $40 million. They are facing accusations of cocaine possession and trafficking. As part of their regular vehicle inspections, the Illinois State Police (ISP) found 1,146 pounds of highly purified cocaine hidden in a Volvo semi-trailer on Interstate 80.

Cops think the narcotics were part of a larger global trafficking ring that provides money for terrorists. The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan allegedly used the narcotics to finance anti-India operations and Khalistani separatism via Canada, as reported by CBS News.


The department's initiatives to combat trafficking were lauded by ISP Director Brendan Kelly. By working together, ISP is able to combat drug trafficking and keep harmful substances out of our communities. Kelly stated that ISP is making neighborhoods safer through commercial motor vehicle inspections, daily patrols, targeted anti-violence tasks, and trafficking investigations. A major step forward in the fight against drug-related criminality and its threat to national security has been achieved with these arrests. Additional individuals involved in the trafficking ring and their activities are still being sought for by investigators.