A Surrey man is facing drug-trafficking charges more than 19 months after allegedly attempting to smuggle nearly 90 kilograms of methamphetamine across the U.S.-Canada border into South Surrey.
Steven Andrew Golding, 64, was charged Aug. 10 for importation of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking, in relation to an incident that allegedly took place on Dec. 1, 2018.
According to a release issued Wednesday (Aug. 19) by the BC RCMP, Golding and a passenger attemped to enter Canada at the Pacific Highway Border crossing in a commercial tractor trailer, towing a legitimate load of commercial goods.
Canada Border Services Agency officers pulled the vehicle aside and conducted a secondary examination, locating various bags full of what was later confirmed to be methamphetamine.
Investigators from a Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) team were called in to take over the investigation.
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In all, 89.805 kg of methamphetamine were seized, all from within the interior of a Volvo tractor.
In the release, Insp. Stephen Lee of the FSOC, praised border service agents “for their sharpness in detecting and locating these dangerous narcotics,” as well as investigators, who gathered the “solid evidence” needed for charges to be laid.
“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug typically sold by the ‘point,’ or 0.1 gram, at the street level in British Columbia,” Lee stated.
“The amount of methamphetamine seized in this investigation equates to almost 900,000 ‘points’ of methamphetamine.”
Golding was arrested Aug. 17 and later released on a promise to appear. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Sept. 14 in provincial court in Surrey.
The truck’s passenger was not charged.
Both offences are punishable by up to a life sentence in prison, according to officials.
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