New Delhi: Royal Canadian Mounted Police has uncovered a dangerous drug smuggling racket operating at major Canadian airports, particularly at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
According to an investigation by W-5, some corrupt airport employees allegedly removed genuine baggage tags from innocent passengers’ checked luggage and attached them to suitcases packed with narcotics destined for foreign countries.
The report said the scheme continued despite the presence of nearly 3,000 CCTV cameras installed across Toronto Pearson Airport, raising serious concerns about the reach of organized criminal networks within Canadian airports.
Investigators said the racket operated through a highly sophisticated method. A corrupt baggage handler or ramp worker allegedly removed the original barcode tag from a legitimate passenger’s bag and placed it on a drug-filled suitcase. If the narcotics bag successfully cleared customs checks at the destination country, members of the criminal network would collect it.
However, if the bag was intercepted by authorities, the innocent passenger whose name appeared on the baggage tag could end up being treated as the main suspect.
As part of the crackdown, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested six baggage and ramp workers employed at Toronto Pearson Airport. Investigators believe the smuggling operation may be much larger than the cases uncovered so far.
