On Wednesday April 7, 2021, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol (SHP) conducted a commercial vehicle safety inspection traffic stop near Caronport Saskatchewan Highway # 1. During the vehicle stop, the SHP officer determined the driver was in possession illegal Cannabis.
While conducting this traffic stop, the SHP officer observed a second vehicle that was continuously driving by the transport truck. The Moose Jaw RCMP were contacted and intercepted the second vehicle.
As a result of above, and the commercial vehicle stop initiated by the SHP, the driver of the vehicle was found to be in possession of illegal Cannabis and he was subsequently arrested.
As a result of the vehicle stop conducted by the Moose Jaw RCMP, the driver and passenger of the second vehicle were found to be in possession of a significant amount of Canadian currency and they too were subsequently arrested.
The RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit assisted with obtaining the judicial authorizations to search the vehicles and following the execution of the warrant(s), nearly 4,000 pounds of illegal Cannabis was seized from the commercial truck and a significant amount of Canadian currency was seized from the passenger vehicle.
The driver of the commercial vehicle and the driver and passenger of the automobile are known to each other.
Harpreet Malhi (age 40) of Brampton, ONT is charged with:
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of more than 30 grams of dried Cannabis, Section 8 (1) Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis in a public place, Section 8 (1), Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis for the purpose of distribution, Section 9 (2), Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis for the purpose to sell, Section 10 (1) Cannabis Act
Ramandeep Singh (age 21) of Brampton, ONT is charged with:
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of more than 30 grams of dried Cannabis, Section 8 (1) Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis in a public place, Section 8 (1), Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis for the purpose of distribution, Section 9 (2), Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis for the purpose to sell, Section 10 (1) Cannabis Act
Mehakdeep Maan (age 23) of Brampton, ONT is charged with:
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of more than 30 grams of dried Cannabis, Section 8 (1) Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis in a public place, Section 8 (1), Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis for the purpose of distribution, Section 9 (2), Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Unlawful possession of Cannabis for the purpose to sell, Section 10 (1) Cannabis Act
- 1 count, Possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, Section 355.5, Criminal Code
All parties appeared in court on April 9, 2021 and their next scheduled appearance is April 14, 2021 at the Moose Jaw Provincial court.
"Saskatchewan Highway Patrol values its collaborative partnerships with the RCMP and other policing agencies across our province," said Chief Andy Landers of the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol "When peace officers work together, it enhances the level of service to all Saskatchewan citizens."
"While cannabis has been legalized in Canada, it is important to know that not all cannabis is legal," said Cpl. Lana Garvie, RCMP Prairie Region Cannabis Coordinator. "Cannabis from a licensed store is legal and safe because the cultivation and sale is regulated by Health Canada. Unregulated Cannabis is grown in unknown conditions, using unknown pesticides, and could have several harmful drugs added which can be very dangerous to the consumer. Seizures such as this are important to keep unregulated cannabis out of our communities. This is a significant seizure of illegal cannabis and this positive result is due to the collaborative efforts of Saskatchewan Highway Patrol officers, Moose Jaw RCMP Detachment, Saskatchewan RCMP's Federal Serious and Organized Crime Unit and Moose Jaw Police Service."