A $4 million drug bust in Saskatchewan is set for a retrial following police surveillance of a suspect believed to be involved in trafficking methamphetamine across the U.S. border into Western Canada. Parminder Singh, 23, and Sahilpreet Grewal, 22, were previously acquitted due to a violation of their Charter rights during a vehicle search that led to the seizure of 90 kilograms of meth and 65 kg of cocaine near Maidstone, Sask. However, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal recently overturned the acquittal and ordered a new trial, citing errors by the trial judge in assessing the grounds for the arrests and search.
The investigation stemmed from drug seizures at the Coutts, Alta., border crossing earlier in 2023. The RCMP’s Project Intuitive was launched following two significant drug seizures, leading to suspicions that Singh was linked to the intercepted drug shipments. Tracking Singh’s cellphone movements revealed suspicious travel patterns, prompting a traffic stop where officers observed behaviors raising suspicions of drug trafficking.
During the traffic stop near Maidstone, officers noted several suspicious indicators, including nervous behavior, inconsistent statements, and attempts to conceal items in the vehicle. Subsequent searches uncovered a substantial amount of methamphetamine and cocaine, leading to the arrest of Singh and Grewal. Despite initial acquittal on Charter rights grounds, the Court of Appeal determined that the arrests were justified based on the available information and ordered a retrial.
The court emphasized the importance of a fair assessment of law enforcement actions and upheld the decision to proceed with a new trial in light of the excluded evidence that could have impacted the previous outcome.