Two Toronto-area men are facing charges after border officers reported finding liquid cocaine concealed in orange juice containers being shipped through Halifax.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the investigation began on Nov. 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 RCMP said in a statement Tuesday.
Among the items, CBSA officers uncovered approximately 44 litres of liquid cocaine, according to a statement that also said that amount could be converted to approximately 24 kilograms of powdered cocaine.
CBSA said the illicit drug was concealed in more than 40 cartons of orange juice.
The officers seized the cocaine and contacted the RCMP, triggering further investigation in the Toronto area.
Norris Williams, 46, of Whitby, and 46-year-old Lincoln Strachan, of Mississauga, each face charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, importing drugs into Canada, and conspiracy.
The men appeared in court in Nov. 30, and were released. They will reappear in a Brampton court on Jan. 22.
