Two truck drivers were charged with importing cocaine and possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking after border officers discovered 45 kilograms of cocaine hidden in boxes of peppers in a commercial shipment.
The Crown relied on circumstantial evidence, including driver logs and an unexplained stop during the trip, to argue that the accused concealed the drugs after loading the cargo in California.
The defence pointed to irregularities in the loading process captured on video, the absence of forensic evidence linking the accused to the boxes, and the possibility that the drugs were inserted before the truck was loaded.
The court held that the Crown failed to prove knowledge and control beyond a reasonable doubt.
Both accused were acquitted.
