Joint CBSA and OPP investigation leads to arrest and charges for drug importation and trafficking
Canada News Centre
24 May 2025, 00:30 GMT+10
May 23, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
A 47-year-old was arrested and is facing drug related charges after a joint investigation involving the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, the CBSA conducted a secondary inspection of a package from Italy arriving at the Ottawa International Airport. Testing determined the contents was heroin.
The CBSA requested assistance from the OPP Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU).
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the joint investigation resulted in the execution of a search warrant by CSCU members, as well as members of the OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau and CBSA, at a residence on Red Castle Ride, in the Manotick area of Ottawa. One person was arrested the scene.
Harvinder Singh Malhi of Ottawa has been charged under the Controlled Drug and Substance Act with: Import Schedule 1 substance
Possession a of Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking
The accused has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa on June 24, 2025.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
An adviser to an ex-Ukrainian president is killed near an American school in Spain, officials say
POZUELO DE ALARCON, Spain (AP) — An adviser to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was shot to death Wednesday outside the American School of Madrid, where at least one of his children was enrolled, Spanish authorities and witnesses said. Andrii Portnov, 51, was shot at 9:15 a.m. (0715 GMT) as students were arriving, Spain's Interior Ministry said. Portnov was a former politician tied closely to Yanukovych, the pro-Moscow president of Ukraine from 2010 until he was ousted in a popular uprising in 2014 after shelving plans to bring the country closer to the European Union and instead deepen ties with President Vladimir Putin's Russia. Yanukovych's ouster in February 2014 followed a brutal crackdown on anti-government protesters, with dozens of people killed, many by police snipers. Portnov was deputy head of the presidential office in that period and was involved in drafting legislation aimed at punishing participants of the uprising. Ukrainian authorities opened a treason case against him, which was later closed, and he also was the subject of U.S. sanctions involving corruption in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on Portnov's killing. Witnesses said Portnov was shot several times in the head and body by more than one gunman when he was getting into a Mercedes Benz registered to him, police said. The unidentified assailants then fled on foot, and local media reported police helicopters later flew over a nearby park. Portnov died in the parking lot with at least three shots to his body, Madrid's emergency services said. He had one child enrolled at the school, according to a parent and an uncle of students there who spoke with The Associated Press. The school declined to comment. Portnov's past After fleeing Ukraine in 2014, Portnov reportedly lived in Russia in 2015 before relocating to Austria. It wasn't immediately clear when he moved to Spain. In 2018, when pro-Western Petro Poroshenko was president of Ukraine, the country's Security Service, or SBU, opened an investigation against Portnov on suspicion of state treason, alleging his involvement in Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The criminal case was closed in 2019, three months after Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to power. The United States imposed personal sanctions on Portnov in 2021, designating him as someone 'responsible for or complicit in, or (who) has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.' High-profile killings Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there have been a number of killings of high-profile figures linked to Moscow and Kyiv. The killings have included Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist; military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky; and several high-ranking Russian military officers. In those instances, Ukraine denied involvement. One exception was former Ukrainian lawmaker Illia Kyva, who fled to Russia before the invasion and was killed there in 2023. The SBU said in a statement that its chief, Vasyl Maliuk, has said the enemies of Ukraine 'will definitely be held accountable for their crimes.' One killing that prompted speculation of retaliation by Moscow was the shooting death in Spain last year of Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to Ukraine in 2023, although there was no independent confirmation of Russia's involvement. A school in shock Police cordoned off a crime scene in a parking lot outside the gate of the American School of Madrid, located in the upscale town of Pozuelo de Alarcón, north of Madrid. Luis Rayo, 19, who lives in a neighboring building, said he was sleeping when he heard gunfire and went to see what happened. One student, who is in 11th grade, said he was 20 minutes into his first class when he and his classmates heard of the shooting. School administrators told students that a man had been shot and pronounced dead outside. 'I thought it was a drill,' he said. 'I was worried because at first I thought it might be a parent of someone I know.' His mother, who is originally from Azerbaijan, said she knew someone through the emigre community with the same first name as the victim, but did not know him well. 'I didn't know there were Ukrainian politicians there,' she said, adding that the man she knew had a son in the fourth grade. 'I was in shock. Like how is it possible that this happens here?' ___ This story has been updated to clarify that the woman from Azerbaijan said she knew someone with the same first name as the victim. It also clarifies that her acquaintance has a son in the fourth grade. ——— Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain, and Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed.


Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Cision Canada
CBSA investigation into prohibited devices leads to charges against residents of Laval and Saint-Eustache Français
MONTREAL, June 18, 2025 /CNW/ - Scott Shein, 51, a resident of Laval, and John Papadimitriou, 52, a resident of Saint-Eustache, will appear in court on June 19, 2025, at the Laval courthouse to face 17 criminal charges. These charges were laid as part of a criminal investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) into the illegal importation of a prohibited weapon and prohibited devices. The CBSA investigation followed the interception of packages by Canada Border Services officers in April 2024 at the CBSA International Mail Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. The investigation identified two individuals in Canada involved in importing a prohibited weapon and devices from the United States. Search warrants executed at the residences of the two accused on June 6, 2024, resulted in the seizure of additional evidence, including several weapons. Scott Shein and John Papadimitriou are both charged with importing prohibited devices under subsection 159(1) of the Customs Act and paragraph 104(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, as well as conspiracy under subsection 465(1) of the Criminal Code. Scott Shein faces three additional charges related to the importation and possession of prohibited weapons: one count under subsection 159(1) of the Customs Act for smuggling goods into Canada; one count under paragraph 104(1)(a) of the Criminal Code, for importing a prohibited weapon into Canada; and one count under subsection 91(2) of the Criminal Code, for possession of prohibited weapons. John Papadimitriou faces the following charges: one count under paragraph 108(1)(b) of the Criminal Code for possessing a restricted firearm with an obliterated serial number; one count under subsection 99(1) of the Criminal Code for manufacturing a restricted firearm; three counts under subsection 102.1(1) of the Criminal Code for possessing computer data for the purpose of printing firearms using a 3D printer; one count under subsection 91(1) of the Criminal Code for being in possession of five restricted or prohibited firearms without authorization; one count under subsection 86(1) of the Criminal Code for improperly storing 14 firearms; two counts under subsection 91(2) of the Criminal Code for possessing 15 prohibited weapons and 14 prohibited devices; and one count under section 155 of the Customs Act for possession of four illegally imported prohibited devices. A file concerning these offences was referred to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, and charges were laid on June 2, 2025. These charges are subject to validation by the court. Quote "The interception of high-risk goods, such as firearms, firearm components, and prohibited weapons and devices, is a priority for the Canada Border Services Agency. Offenders will be held accountable for their actions. I commend our officers who, through their dedication and expertise, have protected our communities by stopping the illegal flow of dangerous weapons". - Eric Lapierre, Regional Director General, Quebec Region, Canada Border Services Agency Quick facts Canada is investing $1.3 billion to bolster security at the border and strengthen the immigration system, all while keeping Canadians safe. Information on the border plan is available at The Government of Canada's Border Plan: significant investments to strengthen border security and our immigration system. The CBSA is committed to protecting Canadians by preventing firearms and prohibited weapons from entering our communities and conducting criminal investigations into those who commit criminal offences under border legislation. The Agency conducts intelligence and investigative operations to identify and intercept contraband. These activities consistently result in numerous seizures across the country and various charges under the Customs Act and the Criminal Code. For the latest seizure statistics, visit the Canada Border Services Agency seizures page. Report any suspicious cross-border activity by contacting the Border Watch Hotline at 1-888-502-9060 (toll-free from Canada and the United States).


CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
2 Montreal-area men charged with smuggling prohibited guns from the U.S.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said it seized several weapons after searching the homes of two Montreal-area residents on June 6, 2024. (Source: CBSA) Two Montreal-area men are facing 17 charges related to smuggling prohibited guns from the United States after packages were seized in the mail last summer. Scott Shein, 51, of Laval, and John Papadimitriou, 52, a resident of Saint-Eustache, are set to appear in court on Thursday to face the charges following an investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The CBSA said their investigation led them to the two Quebecers after officers intercepted a package in April 2024 at the mail processing centre in Mississauga, Ont. The two men were suspected of importing a prohibited weapon and other devices from the U.S. A search warrant at their homes on June 6, 2024, resulted in the seizure of more evidence, including 'several' weapons, the border agency said Wednesday. Shein is facing charges of smuggling goods into Canada, importing a prohibited weapon into Canada, and possession of prohibited weapons. Papadimitriou is facing several charges, including possessing a restricted firearm with an obliterated serial number, manufacturing a restricted firearm, possessing computer data for the purpose of printing firearms using a 3D printer, possessing 15 prohibited weapons, and possessing four illegally imported prohibited devices. Both men are also facing charges of importing prohibited devices under the Customs Act and conspiracy under the Criminal Code. 'The interception of high-risk goods, such as firearms, firearm components, and prohibited weapons and devices, is a priority for the Canada Border Services Agency,' said Eric Lapierre, the CBSA's regional director general for the Quebec Region, in a news release. 'Offenders will be held accountable for their actions. I commend our officers who, through their dedication and expertise, have protected our communities by stopping the illegal flow of dangerous weapons.'