Vancouver Police seized almost 329 kilograms of cocaine from a container in the city’s southeast, estimating the street value at about $5.8 million.
The Story
Vancouver Police say they have made their largest-ever cocaine seizure, removing almost 329 kilograms of the drug from a shipping container in the southeast part of the city. The department estimates the cocaine’s value at about $5.8 million, underscoring the scale of what investigators say is a shipment linked to organized crime.
Police say the case began on July 21, when staff at a business reported finding 14 duffle bags filled with drugs hidden among a legitimate order of T-shirts. Sgt. Travis Fraser said the business was shocked by what it found and called police immediately, adding that the company is “in no way associated with the seized cocaine.”
Fraser said the volume of drugs, along with the stamps and packaging, indicates the shipment was organized rather than accidental or opportunistic. Investigators are treating the find as part of a wider network connected to the movement of narcotics through multiple jurisdictions.
According to VPD, the shipping container was sent from Honduras on May 18 and loaded onto a container ship. The vessel stopped in Jamaica on June 6 and arrived in Montreal on July 5, at which point police say the cocaine was believed to have been intended for removal before reaching the company that received the T-shirts.
“We believe the cocaine was supposed to be removed prior to its arrival at the company,” Fraser said. “For some reason, it was not unloaded.” That means the drugs remained in the container through to the point where they were ultimately discovered by the business in Vancouver on July 21.
The VPD said investigators are working with the RCMP and authorities in Canada, Honduras, Jamaica and the United States as the investigation continues. Police did not provide additional details about charges, suspects, or where the container was sourced beyond the stated shipping route.
← More stories