Pubdate: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 Source: Surrey Now (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc. Website: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/ Contact: Tom Zytaruk BIG BORDER DRUG BUST Surrey man Gurjant Singh Sandhu has been charged in connection with what border guards are calling the largest cocaine seizure ever at a land crossing in Western Canada. The bust took place at the Pacific Highway truck crossing last Thursday, after officers stopped a teal-coloured truck cab that had the words "Risky Business" emblazoned on its sides. A "detector dog" named Speed sniffed out the drugs and customs officers found a hockey bag containing 45 bricks of cocaine under the mattress in the sleeper compartment. They also found a backpack stuffed with $65,000 US inside a compartment in the cab. All told, 49.5 kilograms of cocaine worth $9.8 million was seized. Sandhu has been charged with importing a narcotic and possession for the purpose of trafficking. "This is the largest seizure of cocaine ever at a land border crossing in Western Canada," said Jan Brock, chief of commercial operations on the Canadian side of the Pacific Highway truck crossing. "This seizure means over one-quarter million doses of cocaine will not reach our streets." Brock and other officers would not reveal if they were tipped off or what arose officers' suspicions about the truck. The truck seized has B.C. and Oregon plates. Mike Hepner, Speed's trainer, said that as a family man he was happy to see the cocaine off the streets. "I was extremely happy because this was a very big find," he said. Speed, a black Lab, got special treats for sniffing out the drugs. "He got his ball all day." - --- MAP posted-by: Andrew