Surj Singh Salaria, a 28-year-old Indian-origin truck driver, referred to as a Calgarian resident by Canadian media, was arrested in September after he was found with nearly 77 kg of cocaine with an estimated value of $7 million in his truck that he was driving and seeking entry into Canada from the US. The Integrated Border Enforcement Team in Alberta, a joint force operation between the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region, CBSA and Calgary Police Service, was notified and a criminal investigation was initiated into the individual.Salaria was charged with importation of a controlled substance contrary to section 6(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act; and, attempting to export goods that are prohibited, controlled or regulated contrary to section 160 of the Customs Act.As he appeared in court on October 27, he was denied bail in the Alberta Court of Justice. The incident came as Indian truck drivers are on the radar in both Canada and the US and the US and Canada are also at loggerheads over cross-border drug flow. No further details about Salaria was available apart from that he is a Calgary resident. It is not known whether he is a legal resident of Canada or a victim of backdoor migration. Two major road accidents in the US — both involving Sikh drivers who apparently should not have got a commercial driver’s license — turned the heat up for Sikh drivers in North America. A major row has started with the targeting of Sikhs in the US and Canada, with the US Assistant Attorney General Harneet Dhillon speaking out for the rights of her community. Dhillon said because of some offenders, law-abiding Sikhs and Indian-origin Americans are being targeted.
