Four accused were charged with possession of cannabis resin for the purpose of trafficking after police intercepted shipping containers from Pakistan containing chromium ore concealing approximately 4.6 metric tons of cannabis resin.
Police removed the drugs and conducted a controlled delivery of a sample to a Toronto warehouse, where the accused were arrested after entering the premises.
The Crown relied on circumstantial evidence including surveillance, fingerprint evidence, and the accused’s association with the shipment and each other.
The court held that the evidence did not establish beyond a reasonable doubt that any accused had knowledge or control of the hidden drugs.
Alternative inferences consistent with innocence remained available, including the possibility that the accused were unwitting participants in the shipment’s handling.
