U.S driver accidentally takes wrong turn, ends up arrested at border with massive bag of cash
A U.S. driver has been arrested by the RCMP after making a wrong turn and ending up in a line to cross the Canada border while in possession of more than $815,000 in cash and a large amount of cannabis.
On Friday, the 60-year-old male driver was following GPS coordinates that he’d entered improperly, according to the RCMP.
“He took a wrong turn and ended up in the border line up at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Rainbow Bridge port of entry in Niagara Falls, Ontario,” the RCMP said in a press release.
“As the driver had no passport, he was referred for a secondary examination. During the inspection, the CBSA officers discovered 181 kg of cannabis (valued at between $362,000 CAD and $724,000 CAD) and over $600,000 US dollars (worth $816,167CAD).”
The man was arrested and the cash and cannabis was seized. The case was then turned over to the RCMP Niagara on the Lake Federal Policing Border Integrity Team, who examined the seized items.
“The items were located in various places in the car. The cannabis was vacuum packed and separated into numerous boxes. The cash was also found separated into bundles, and concealed in a safe, a suitcase, and a pelican case (hard-shelled lockable case),” the press release read.
“This style of packaging is consistent with those commonly used by drug dealers or money launderers. As a result of this highly suspicious evidence, the driver has been charged.”
Andrew Lee Toppenberg, of Tustin, California has been charged with possession of cannabis for the purpose of distribution, importing 181 kg of cannabis contrary to the Cannabis Act, and possession of proceeds of property over $5,000 knowing that all or part of the proceeds of property was obtained by a crime.
"The safety and security of Canadians is our government's top priority,” said Marco Mendicino, federal Minister of Public Safety.
“This seizure demonstrates the crucial role that the CBSA and the RCMP play in stopping illicit contraband from entering our communities. Outstanding work by both agencies."
The accused appeared before a judge earlier today at a St. Catharines court and was remanded in custody, where he remains. His next court date has not yet been scheduled.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.