ABBOTSFORD – Indo-Canadian border guard Jasbir Singh Grewal, who pleaded guilty to his part in the cross border drug ring, was sentenced to five years behind bars in the U.S. The drug smuggling operation moved $19 million of cocaine and marjiuana over five years, according to authorities.
All of the information filed for the sentencing by both Grewal and the U.S. Attorney was sealed by court order, as were details of his plea agreement.
Grewal allowed motor homes filled with drugs to pass through his border post without being searched. He was paid $50,000 per load, reported the Vancouver Sun.
This is the same investigation that led to charges in August against former Mountie Rob Sidhu, and has seen 24 B.C. men plead guilty so far, including Rob Shannon, Jody York and Devron Quast.
That trial has been adjourned until March 2012.
Grewal was originally charged in November 2008, though a U.S. warrant wasn’t issued until June 2009.
The U.S. indictment said Grewal allowed at least 12 large shipments of cocaine concealed in motor homes to cross into B.C. from Washington state.
“Jasbir Singh Grewal, an employee of the Canada Border Services Agency, abused his position of trust and influence with the government of Canada by allowing the co-conspirators travelling by recreational vehicles to exit the United States through the Lynden/Aldergrove Port of Entry,” the indictment said.
“Jasbir Singh Grewal was typically paid $50,000 for successfully smuggling each load of cocaine.”
The court documents laid out in detail one of the shipments linked to Grewal.
“In July 2007, Jasbir Singh Grewal was on duty at the Aldergrove point of entry. He was wearing his department-issued uniform in service of the Canada Border Services Agency. Jasbir Singh Grewal was told by telephone that a recreational vehicle containing cocaine was soon to approach the international border crossing.
“The driver of the recreational vehicle was told to approach the crossing at a specific booth that was staffed by Jasbir Singh Grewal. The driver complied with his instruction and Jasbir Singh Grewal knowingly passed the vehicle containing the cocaine. . . . In exchange for the vehicle to pass, Jasbir Singh Grewal was paid $50,000.”
The U.S. Attorney also said that prior to July 24, 2007, Grewal made arrangements with associates to import 270 kilograms of cocaine and earned an extra $600,000 US in the last six months of 2007 alone.
