N.B. driver sentenced to nine years in prison for drug smuggling

Gerry Crawley, a commercial driver and resident of New Brunswick, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Feb. 26 for attempting to smuggle 71.5 kg of cocaine into Canada at the Pacific Highway Commercial border crossing in British Columbia.

On March 18, 2021, Crawley entered the Pacific Highway Commercial Operations in a tractor-trailer carrying personal care products from California, according to a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) news release.

During the examination, border services officers found 64 individually wrapped bricks of suspected cocaine hidden within the vehicle. In total, 71.5 kilograms of cocaine was seized with an estimated value of more than $3.5 million.

Following an investigation by the CBSA and the Pacific Region RCMP Federal Policing Program, Crawley was found guilty of possession for the purpose of trafficking and importing/exporting a controlled substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.