Cocaine in T&T orange juice cartons…again

(Trinidad Express) Liquid cocaine has again been found in orange juice containers shipped from Trinidad and Tobago, and headed to a destination in North America.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police disclosed on Tuesday that two men had been arrested and charged after border officers found liquid cocaine concealed in orange juice containers being shipped through Halifax.

The investigation began on November 16, when Canada Border Services Agency officers were inspecting a shipping container at the Port of Halifax.

The container was full of food products destined for Toronto from Trinidad and Tobago.

The officers found 44 litres of liquid cocaine, which could be converted into 24 kilogrammes of powdered cocaine.

The drugs were concealed in 40 cartons of orange juice.

The police named the men detained as Norris Williams, 46, of Whitby, and 46-year-old Lincoln Strachan, of Mississauga, who now face charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, importing drugs into Canada, and conspiracy.

The men appeared in court on November 30 and will reappear on January 22, 2016.

Last year, US authorities seized an estimated US$100 million worth in cocaine concealed in orange juice cans originating in Trinidad. The shipment was discovered at the Port of Norfolk, Virginia.