Toronto: A Canadian citizen of Punjabi origin has been sentenced to 20 years (240 months) in federal prison in the United States for leading a transnational drug trafficking organisation that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine worth up to $17 million from the US into Canada.
According to a release issued by the US Attorney’s Office, 63-year-old Guramrit Sidhu, of Brampton, Ontario, was sentenced by US District Judge John A. Kronstadt. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also confirmed the sentencing in connection with the narcotics trafficking case.
Sidhu pleaded guilty on March 26 to one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise and has remained in federal custody since October 2024.
According to his plea agreement, Sidhu led a drug trafficking organisation between September 2020 and February 2023 that transported illegal narcotics from the United States into Canada for distribution.
Between September 13 and October 24, 2022, Sidhu coordinated eight separate drug shipments involving approximately 523 kilograms of methamphetamine and 347 kilograms of cocaine, all of which were seized by law enforcement agencies.
Authorities estimated the wholesale value of the seized drugs at between $15 million and $17 million. Investigators said Sidhu arranged for the drugs to be purchased in the United States and transported into Canada using long-haul semi-trucks for further distribution.
The investigation also found that Sidhu supplied couriers with telephone numbers and serial numbers from currency notes to be used as identification “tokens” during deliveries. After the shipments reached Canada, Sidhu and his associates allegedly collected the drugs from various locations for further distribution.
Sidhu is the eighth defendant in the case to plead guilty. Several other accused have also admitted their roles and have received federal prison sentences ranging from 27 months to 108 months.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department, LA IMPACT Task Force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), US Customs and Border Protection, and law enforcement authorities in Mexico. The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also provided significant assistance, while the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with Canadian authorities to secure Sidhu’s arrest and extradition to the United States in October 2024.
