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RCMP in British Columbia say they have foiled an operation to smuggle methamphetamine to Melbourne, Australia, hidden in jars of pickles.
Police say the investigation was carried out with the help of Australian Federal Police and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), resulting in the seizure of 115 kilograms of the drug at the Tsawwassen, B.C., container facility in January.
Two male suspects aged 40 and 63 were arrested in Australia on March 17, while a 46-year-old foreign national was arrested the same day in Kelowna, B.C.
RCMP say the suspects in Australia have been charged with drug offences, while the man arrested in Kelowna has been released pending further investigations, with a referral to the CBSA for potential immigration enforcement action.
As part of the investigation, RCMP officers executed search warrants in Abbotsford, Kelowna and the Lower Nicola region, seizing cellphones and other devices.
RCMP say Australian police meanwhile searched homes in Sydney and Melbourne, seizing $400,000 in cash, eight one-kilogram silver bars, a luxury vehicle, jewelry and watches, electronic devices and drug paraphernalia.
Tim Arseneault, acting deputy regional commander for RCMP federal policing in the Pacific region, said in a statement that the operation was “the direct result of sustained international co-operation and the dedication of law enforcement professionals across multiple countries.”
“Drug trafficking knows no borders, and neither does our drive to confront it,” he says.
A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) previously told CBC News that, between 2020 and 2024, the force noticed an increase in the seizure of illicit drugs originating from Canada.
“During this period, AFP seized about 2.4 tonnes of methamphetamine, 500 kg of cocaine, 28 kg of fentanyl (11 kg pure) and 25 kg of MDMA, along with other drugs,” the AFP spokesperson said.
While the spokesperson said that there were increases in the number of drug seizures from Canada every financial year until 2023-24, drug seizures decreased by 46 per cent in 2024-25.
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