Truck driver arrested with $2 million in drugs hidden in load of ‘waffles’

A Canadian truck driver has been arrested trying to cross into Buffalo, N.Y., with an estimated $2 million in marijuana and ketamine, hidden in what fraudulent paperwork described as a shipment of waffles.

Just over 948 kg of marijuana and more than 50 kg of ketamine were found behind boxes full of hand sanitizer and seized.

The July 27 charges came after a Customs and Border Protection officer at the Peace Bridge identified a seal number that matched earlier fraudulent paperwork.

Peace Bridge
(File photo: iStock)

U.S Customs and Border Protection had contacted Homeland Security Investigations on June 22, after a shipper’s CTPAT audit identified four fraudulent entries using their company name, invoices, and customs broker, according to a criminal complaint filed with the United States District Court for the Western District of New York.

All four entries included the same purchase order number, seal number and entered value – and none of the shipments arrived at the company’s warehouse.

The charged driver and the same shipper were listed on the paperwork for a load (later proven to be fraudulent) that was turned away by Livingston International on June 7. That day, the driver was also listed on the entry for a load of waffles that successfully entered the U.S. using another broker and listing a different shipper. It was later found to be a fraudulent shipment as well.

The load stopped on July 27 listed the same broker, shipper and seal number as the June 7 shipment, the criminal complaint adds.

The driver was charged with possession of marijuana and controlled substances with intent to distribute, and importation of marijuana and controlled substances.


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  • This seems to becoming a common practice for some truck drivers.
    This driver wouldn’t have been from the Brampton area code area was he?

    • Good one, I like that. I got it. I trucked Canada to U. S. for over 30 years now the industry is growing worse every year mainly due to is being hired. Unsafe and inexperienced.

  • This driver has been charged and should be named. Is this publication not naming individuals because it is afraid of blow back ? This is a matter of public record and failure to identify charged persons is an abrogation of journalistic responsibility. Today’s Trucking, uphold your duty to report the news and events completely and in full, not edited due to fear of offending a segment of your readers.

    • While we publish names of companies and individuals who are convicted, we don’t publish the names of those who are charged.

  • Charged is not the same as convicted but where there is smoke, there’s fire.
    These smugglers do all of us honest drivers harm because folks just figure we are all like that. We just haven’t been caught yet.

  • This is what gives us good drivers a bad name, most of us do things totally legal but the ones that don’t should make an example out of give them 25 year sentences, maybe the rest will learn.

  • Tranq, is an evil drug wreaking disaster on drug addicts. Horse Tranquillizer is killing many. More discipline it’s a crime against humanity.

  • I think this truck driver if proved to be guilty should be shown no mercy and should be given stringent of punishment so that others get serious message from the law enforcement agencies. Drug issue a big menace. Should be tackled world over on war footing.

  • Hay you guys you are wrong.I believe they are not truckers,but a imposter posing ass truckers and with fake documents and getting caught with them at customs officers at the borders ,because it didn’t go right with the customs officers and tha gives them red flags and then they have a right to search you and you vehicle or property on suspension. I been driving truck all my life and government has such laws and truck drivers must follow them all they way. So I say they’re fakes posing as truck driver and fake trucking companies and fake papers that customers officers found as soon they check it on there computers and that’s why they stop them and did a investigation and busted them.