Meth hidden in painting replaced with placebo in B.C. police plot to bust alleged smuggler
A Western Australian man has been charged after an international police investigation, which started in Canada, resulted in the seizure of several kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside a painting.
In a news release on Monday, B.C. RCMP said the investigation began last month after Canada Border Services Agency officers inspected a package destined for Western Australia.
A white crystalline substance, which tested positive for methamphetamine, was found in three vacuum-sealed bags inside the frame of a painting, officers said.
The CBSA and RCMP combined forces with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Australian Federal Police to get the package back into circulation, putting a placebo in place of the drugs.
Australian police monitored the package as it was delivered to its destination in Embleton, Western Australia.
A search warrant was then executed with officers allegedly locating the placebo buried in the garden, while other parts of the painting were discarded behind bins.
In total, police say they seized 4.1 kilograms of meth and arrested a 38-year-old Embleton man on Oct. 28.
The man is now facing charges of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug contrary to the Australian Criminal Code.
“Collaboration between international partner agencies is becoming increasingly necessary due to the globalization of crime," Inspector Jillian Wellard, operations officer for the RCMP Major Projects team involved, said in the press release.
“This file speaks volumes to the exceptional working relationships between Canadian, Australian and U.S. law enforcement in the battle against cross border drug smuggling.”
According to Australian police, the amount of drugs seized could have bene sold on the street to approximately 41,000 people for a profit of $4 million.
A photo released by the B.C. RCMP shows a painting officers allege concealed methamphetamine.
A photo released by the B.C. RCMP shows officers what allege is methamphetamine hidden behind a painting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.