Toronto: Canadian law enforcement authorities have initiated the process of obtaining an Interpol red notice for Raj Kumar Mehmi, an Indo-Canadian fugitive sentenced to 15 years in prison for smuggling 80 kilograms of cocaine into British Columbia, Canada.
The Federal Serious & Organized Crime (FSOC) unit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) revealed that 60-year-old Raj Kumar Mehmi, a resident of Surrey, attempted to transport the contraband from the United States. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) discovered 80 sealed bricks of cocaine, valued at 3.2 million Canadian dollars, hidden in the truck he owned and was driving on November 6, 2017.
Subsequently, Mehmi was arrested by the FSOC’s Waterfront Joint Force Operation and faced charges of controlled substance importation and possession for the purpose of trafficking. Despite being found guilty by a British Columbia Supreme Court judge on September 6 of last year, Mehmi fled to India in October.
On November 16 this year, a judge from the Surrey Provincial Court sentenced him to 15 years in prison in absentia. A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued, and an Interpol red notice is being pursued to facilitate worldwide law enforcement collaboration for Mehmi’s location, provisional arrest, and potential extradition.
Described as 185cm tall and weighing 91 kilograms, Mehmi boarded a flight from Vancouver to New Delhi, evading legal proceedings.
CBSA Pacific Region director Holly Stoner emphasized the partnership with RCMP in preventing illicit drug trafficking across Canada’s borders.
