Driver in drug bust put under strict bail conditions

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This article was published 02/02/2024 (956 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A man accused of importing a large enough load of methamphetamine to give every Manitoban three doses of the drug was granted bail in Brandon court on Thursday.

But he will have to wear an ankle bracelet, pay $20,000 in bail, abide by a curfew and meet other court-ordered conditions.

Komalpreet Singh Sidhu, 29, of Winnipeg is facing charges of importing, exporting and trafficking methamphetamine after Canada Border Services Agency officers seized 406 kilograms of the drug while inspecting the semi-truck that he was attempting to drive across the Boissevain border crossing on Jan. 14.

Crown attorney Matthew Sinclair opposed Sidhu’s release on all three grounds used to deny bail, though the prosecutor focused specifically on the tertiary ground, arguing that Sidhu’s release would erode public confidence in the justice system.

Defence lawyer Katherine Smith reminded the court that under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms her client is presumed innocent and argued that Sidhu had no knowledge of the drugs in the semi-truck.

Sinclair read the evidence for the charges in court. The charges against Sidhu have not been proven in court and he remains innocent until proven guilty.

The prosecutor said border service officers screened a semi-truck that was towing a trailer for a compliance check. When they looked inside the trailer, they found the bags containing packages of methamphetamine.

In a statement to police after the discovery, the driver said he had never seen the load that he was transporting. But during their investigation, police found that he had sent a photo of the load to his boss.

Sinclair said the GPS system in the semi-truck showed three “suspicious” stops in California, including one stop during which the GPS system was disengaged.

He said the driver then went to a “less frequented area” for more than 50 minutes, during which authorities suspect that he picked up the drugs. He then resumed his trucking duties and picked up the load of furniture destined for Winnipeg.

Sinclair also said authorities found a phone belonging to the driver and when they tried to plug it in, the device locked and started a two-minute countdown before it wiped itself of its own data.

The driver told police in a statement that he had three phones in his possession — a U.S phone, a Canadian phone and an older phone.

The Crown said the driver had only worked for the trucking company for a short time and during that time had refused a trip to Texas, but only wanted California trips and to drive solo.

Sinclair said the RCMP investigation is still ongoing to gather more evidence.

The seized drugs, according to the Crown, were estimated to have a street value of $40 to $50 million.

“Too many Manitoba communities have been poisoned with methamphetamine,” Sinclair said.

He argued that Sidhu was a trusted member of a high-level trafficking organization and that the Crown had a very strong case against him.

“This methamphetamine is not indigenous to Canada,” the Crown attorney said. “It came from somewhere else and into Canada to flood our streets and poison our people.”

Smith argued prosecutors are not always successful in these types of cases, as narcotics can be loaded into trucks without drivers’ knowledge.

She said the stop her client made that police suggest was “off route” was actually a stop on the route to Winnipeg and provided a map of the direct route to the court.

“Many of the allegations being made to have Mr. Sidhu look nefarious are, in fact, false,” Smith told the court.

She said her client has permanent residence status in Canada and immigrated in 2014. He has worked as a truck driver since 2015, has no criminal record and lives in Winnipeg with his wife.

Judge Patrick Sullivan said the amount of methamphetamine and the nature of the drug made the matter very serious, though he said the Crown’s concerns about Sidhu absconding and re-offending could be managed by the bail plan that was presented.

“At this time the central issue appears to be whether Mr. Sidhu had knowledge and control of the meth found in the trailer he was transporting from California to Manitoba,” Sullivan said as he granted Sidhu bail.

Under his bail plan, Sidhu is to live at an address in Winnipeg, pay a $20,000 cash bail and promise to pay another $20,000 if he violates his bail conditions. A friend was named as a $100,000 surety (which could also be forfeited if the bail is violated).

In addition, Sidhu will be constantly monitored by an ankle bracelet and has agreed to court-ordered conditions that would prevent him from truck driving.

Sullivan also ordered that Sidhu not leave Manitoba, be required to abide by a curfew and submit to a curfew check conducted by authorities.

Describing the bail plan as strict, Sullivan said the Crown’s evidence was circumstantial and that he recognized there were issues with the case that would come up at a trial. He emphasized that Sidhu has no criminal record and no history of breaching any court orders.

Sidhu’s matter will next appear in Brandon federal court on March 14.

» gmortfield@brandonsun.com

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