Two Air Canada Ground Staff Arrested in Montréal Airport Drug Smuggling Case
Two Air Canada employees have been arrested for allegedly trafficking cocaine and cannabis through Montréal-Trudeau airport, the RCMP announced. Cocaine was imported from Punta Cana; cannabis exported there.
Air Canada staff used secure zone access to move drugs through Montréal airport
Two Air Canada employees have been arrested in connection with cocaine and cannabis trafficking through Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Google News CA — Crime (EN) reports, citing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Search warrants were executed Wednesday morning at two residences and a vehicle in the Greater Montréal area. A search was also conducted at the employees' work base in Dorval, with Air Canada's cooperation, according to the RCMP.
The two suspects held various positions related to ground operations at the airline. They are alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to move luggage through secure areas of the airport in order to facilitate the importation of cocaine and the exportation of cannabis.
RCMP Corporal Marie-Pierre Guertin told CTV News that the suspects had "access to secure zones." She explained how that access was exploited: "Being able to handle the luggage and go through the system where all the luggage with the tags and all that, it did give them easier access to be able to get the drugs in certain luggage to be able to export them."
Guertin confirmed the specific corridor involved. "In this case … cocaine was imported from Punta Cana, and cannabis was exported to Punta Cana," she said. She was unable to say how long the employees may have been involved, how many countries were implicated, or the monetary value of the alleged illegal goods, noting the investigation remains ongoing.
The method attributed to the suspects centred on tag-switching. "The way that the suspects worked, basically, is they switched tags of suitcases or luggage that is going to a certain destination to be able to transport the luggage containing the drugs," Guertin said.
Air Canada confirmed it had been informed of the investigation and the arrests. "We are cooperating fully with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police," the airline said in a statement. "The two employees in question have been suspended during investigations." The company declined further comment, citing ongoing proceedings and its obligations to protect employee privacy.
Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) also confirmed full cooperation with authorities. The airport operator noted that access to restricted areas is governed by strict requirements, including screening and verification processes conducted by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and other security partners. ADM said it would not comment further while the investigation continues.
The arrests follow a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) operation last May in which 62.5 kg of cocaine, concealed in backpacks on a flight arriving from Punta Cana, was intercepted. Over the course of the broader investigation, an additional 56 kg of cannabis was also seized.
The RCMP said the two individuals would be questioned and released pending further proceedings, and that analysis of the collected evidence could lead to additional arrests and charges.
Anyone with information about illicit activities at the airport is asked to contact the RCMP at 514-939-8300 or 1-800-771-5401, or to visit their local police station.
Source: Google News CA — Crime (EN)