A second person from Cambridge, Ont., has been arrested for his part in an international drug smuggling operation.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service arrested Cameron DeSousa on Aug. 13.
The 20-year-old man was charged with exporting a schedule I substance and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
The police investigation began in September 2025 after customs agents at Hong Kong International Airport found 25 kilograms of cocaine in a checked suitcase belonging to Jade, a 19-year-old woman from Cambridge.
She was one of four Canadians arrested over a four-month period. Each one travelled overseas on separate flights and claimed not to know one another. Altogether, officials said they found almost 100 kilograms of cocaine hidden in their suitcases.
W5, the investigative reporting unit at CTV News, spoke with the four alleged drug mules.
Jade said she answered a posting for an “international package shipper,” which she thought was a legitimate job. Her recruiter texted, “We pay your flights, accommodation, food.” The salary was $5,000 per trip.
W5 identified Jade’s alleged recruiter as DeSousa. When confronted, he denied any knowledge of the the trafficking scheme.
“I thought it was jewelry,” he responded. “I promise I thought it was jewelry. I don’t know, I am literally just a sales rep.”
One of the other drug mules was 20-year-old Ahmed Dakhi, a resident of Kitchener, Ont., who was named as a local ringleader who had direct contact with the leader, who went by the name “Dot.” When questioned by W5, he said: “I didn’t recruit anybody.”
- W5 investigation, part 1: International syndicate lures Canadians as drug mules, four arrested in Hong Kong
- W5 investigation, part 2: Canadian teen’s Instagram chats reveal playbook for recruiting drug mules
- W5 investigation, part 3: Canadian teen’s Instagram chats reveal playbook for recruiting drug mules
In June, Waterloo Regional Police arrested a 36-year-old man from Markham, Ont. Alexander Kwan was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession for the purpose of exportation. Police believed he was driver for the couriers.
The demand for cocaine in Hong Kong is huge. It is the drug of choice for the wealthy and goes for about $200 a gram — more than double what it sells for in Canada.
Hong Kong’s drug penalties are severe. Unless the accused Canadians can prove they didn’t know about the contraband, they could be sentenced to life behind bars.
