A truck driver convicted of trafficking drugs into British Columbia has fled Canada before he could be sentenced, according to police.
Raj Kumar Mehmi, a 60-year-old from Surrey, was found guilty on Sept. 6, 2022 of smuggling 80 kilograms of cocaine across the Pacific Highway Border Crossing.
Police said the drugs had a street value of about $3.2 million
He was due to be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2023, but boarded a flight from Vancouver to New Delhi, India on Oct. 11, 2022.
Police have not explained how a man convicted of serious crimes was able to get on a flight before he was sentenced. NowMedia has requested more information about Mehmi’s escape.
On Nov. 16 this year, Mehmi was sentenced in absentia to nine years in jail for importing a controlled substance and six years for possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
He was also handed a lifetime firearms ban, a forfeiture order and a DNA order by the Surrey Provincial Court judge.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Mehmi.
Police said they have also sought an Interpol red notice which, if granted, would send a request to law enforcement agencies around the world to find and arrest Mehmi.
Mehmi was first arrested on Nov. 6, 2017 after Canadian border officers discovered 80 sealed bricks of cocaine hidden under his semi-trailer truck.
He was ultimately charged and convicted under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
The application to sentence Mehmi in absentia was granted on Sept. 15, 2023, just under a year after he fled the country.
“The criminal conviction resulting from this significant drug seizure is a clear demonstration of the CBSA-RCMP Joint Border Strategy’s effectiveness in keeping our border secure,” said Supt. Bert Ferreira, the officer in charge of the BC RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime Border Integrity program.
“It also highlights the ongoing collaboration between our agencies, and the shared dedication and commitment of our officers, to protecting Canadians from the significant threats posed by transnational organized crime.”
Holly Stoner, director of Canada Border Services Agency Pacific Region, said she was “proud” to work with the RCMP to prevent drugs crossing into Canada.
“The seizure of over $3 million of cocaine at our Pacific Highway border crossing and the subsequent 15-year conviction are a direct result of the strong partnership between our organizations and the diligent work of our officers,” she added.
BC Mounties said Mehmi is 185 centimetres in height (a little over six feet) and weighs about 91 kilograms (200 lbs).
Members of the public are urged not to approach Mehmi if they encounter him.
Instead, they should immediately call the police.
NowMedia has approached India’s representatives in Canada for comment.
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