Four people have been arrested and charged as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged drug smuggling at Canada’s largest airport.
Anoshan Alfred, 33, of Alliston; Jeffrey Woolcock, 40, of North York; Jermaine Thompson, 32, of Toronto; and Renaldo Clarke, 42, of North York have been hit with charges related to attempting to traffic cannabis out of Canada, the RCMP said in a news release Friday morning.
Police said a months-long investigation between the RCMP, Peel Regional Police and the Canada Border Services Agency resulted in a seizure of 95 kilograms of cannabis.
Despite repeated requests from W5, the RCMP did not provide details on the employer or positions held by the four suspects.
A total of 12 people have been arrested in just over a year in relation to alleged drug smuggling at Canadian airports.
The RCMP arrested two Air Canada employees working at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport in August, and six Pearson baggage handlers were charged last year, including two who allegedly tried to smuggle $147,000 worth of cannabis to France using an unwitting passenger’s luggage tags.
The RCMP did not say whether the four recently arrested were also airport employees.
“The safety and security of Pearson International Airport and its global reach depend on the integrity of those entrusted to work within it,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in the release. “This investigation highlights the importance of vigilance and collaboration in protecting Canada’s busiest airport from criminal exploitation.”
Government warns of tag-switching scheme
A recent W5 investigation into airport corruption revealed a surge in drug smuggling at Canadian airports — mainly at Pearson — through what’s known as bag-tag switching.
- W5 is currently working on a follow-up investigation. If you have any information regarding tag switching or corruption at Canadian airports, please reach out to avery.haines@bellmedia.ca and jack.hauen@bellmedia.ca.
The scheme works like this: a corrupt airport employee takes the tag off an unsuspecting passenger’s luggage and attaches it to a suitcase filled with drugs headed to that passenger’s destination.
If the drug bag makes it through to the carousel, it’s picked up by a courier. If it doesn’t, the innocent passenger is left to face the consequences.
W5’s investigation revealed that some Canadians victimized by the scheme have served jail time in countries where police aren’t interested in hearing, “It’s not mine.”
W5 EXCLUSIVES
- Part one: Luggage-tag switching scheme involves flights from Canada to countries where drug smuggling can carry death penalty
- Part two: Investigation reveals security gaps and organized crime at Toronto airport: ‘You could walk out carrying a cruise missile’
- Part three: Air Canada employee accused in Canada’s largest gold heist had been on police radar for years
- Part four: Whistleblowers say organized crime has infiltrated Canada’s largest airport
The four new arrests aren’t related to cases of alleged bag-tag switching where people were detained in other countries, RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Vladimir Napoleon said in a statement.
W5 has identified 17 cases of bag-tag switching in the past year. The RCMP declined to comment on the total number of cases it is investigating.
“While some incidents may involve individuals travelling on flights, offenders use a range of tactics to facilitate this activity, including duplicating bag tags, adding fraudulent tags to baggage and reusing discarded or recycled tags,” Napoleon said.
The RCMP did not say whether it had been contacted by any Canadians detained abroad.
“While we continue to offer support to our international law enforcement partners, the RCMP does not comment on investigations being conducted by other countries,” Napoleon said, directing inquiries to Global Affairs Canada — which is the body Canadians detained abroad should contact, he said.
In August, the federal government posted a warning about tag switching, advising Canadian travellers to take photos of their luggage before checking a bag.
RCMP investigations ongoing
Napoleon said the RCMP’s Toronto Airport Detachment “continues to actively investigate cases involving baggage-tag switching and other methods used to smuggle illegal drugs and contraband through Canada’s airports.”
Napoleon warned against another scheme in which Canadians have been lured into smuggling drugs internationally. So-called “courier” roles that offer high pay and free travel for transporting sealed suitcases are indeed too good to be true, he said.
“Legitimate employers will never ask individuals to transport unknown items or packages across borders,” he said.
“Those who participate in smuggling activities – even unknowingly – may face serious criminal consequences in Canada or abroad, including imprisonment and, in some countries, severe penalties.”
W5 investigations have uncovered several Canadians who have been arrested and detained in Hong Kong after smuggling drugs this way.
To deter against the consequences of bag-tag switching, Canadians checking a bag should take photos of their baggage with the tag number visible, Napoleon said — echoing the federal government’s advice posted after W5’s investigation.
“We encourage travellers to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to police or border authorities,” he said.
