Joseph Flores was travelling to Guam from Ethiopia with a planned 3-day stopover in Toronto. But when border agents at Toronto Pearson International Airport searched his luggage and uncovered approximately 3.3kg of suspected heroin, Mr. Flores' dream vacation turned into a nightmare. He was charged with importation of a controlled substance.
On March 26, 2022, Joseph Flores was arrested by CBSA for smuggling a suspected controlled substance and the investigation was promptly turned over O Division RCMP members at Toronto Airport Detachment (TAD).
He was found guilty at trial of Importation of a Controlled Substance and sentenced to 13 years incarceration (less time served) as well as a 10-year weapons prohibition and a DNA order (conviction on a secondary designated offence).
During Ontario Crime Prevention Week, RCMP O Division is highlighting Mr. Flores' experience to warn would-be "drug mules" to consider the dangers of smuggling illicit narcotics into Canada.
According to Superintendent Rae Bolsterli, the officer in charge of Border Intergrity at RCMP O Division, this case and other similar ones share common elements. "The similarity lies in the process of receiving an invitation from someone who asks you to courier an 'item' (backpack, luggage, bag) across the border for payment," she stated. "But when your luggage is searched and we find it contains an illegal substance, then you will face serious, life-altering consequences."
This is one of the longest sentences imposed upon conviction of a heroin importer at TAD in recent memory and will likely set a precedent for future importers.
Even though many of the individuals in such cases have claimed to not know what the 'item' contains while being willfully blind, they still are responsible for the items they are bringing into Canada, and will face serious charges. Don't risk your future. Say "No!" to anyone who asks you to carry a package for them.