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A man from British Columbia passing through the area was arrested on charges of possession and transportation of narcotics Thursday morning at the California Highway Patrol Cottonwood Inspection Facility.
Agents found 26.3 pounds of cocaine inside the cab of a semitrailer belonging to Baljinder Singh Gill. (for picture of Gill, click on the link below)
The cocaine was packaged in 10 individual bags and placed inside a black duffel bag that was sitting in the cab, said Special Agent Supervisor Eric Maher of the Tehama Interagency Drug Enforcement task force.
Gill, 29, of Delta, British Columbia was headed toward that area, and may have been coming from Southern California, Maher said.
The semitrailer was seized and is pending asset forfeiture.
Gill was booked into Tehama County Jail on felony charges of possession of a narcotic or controlled substance for sale and felony transportation or sell of a narcotic or controlled substance.
A CHP K-9 detected the cocaine during a random search of vehicles passing through the inspection facility, at which point TIDE was called to assist, CHP spokesman Philip Mackintosh said.
While commercial trucks routinely stop for inspection, not all vehicles passing through the facility are subjected to a K-9 search.
There was no particular reason as to why Gill's truck was chosen, Mackintosh said.
Gill remains in jail in lieu of a $4 million bail.
Trucker from British Columbia busted with cocaine - Red Bluff Daily News Online
Agents found 26.3 pounds of cocaine inside the cab of a semitrailer belonging to Baljinder Singh Gill. (for picture of Gill, click on the link below)
The cocaine was packaged in 10 individual bags and placed inside a black duffel bag that was sitting in the cab, said Special Agent Supervisor Eric Maher of the Tehama Interagency Drug Enforcement task force.
Gill, 29, of Delta, British Columbia was headed toward that area, and may have been coming from Southern California, Maher said.
The semitrailer was seized and is pending asset forfeiture.
Gill was booked into Tehama County Jail on felony charges of possession of a narcotic or controlled substance for sale and felony transportation or sell of a narcotic or controlled substance.
A CHP K-9 detected the cocaine during a random search of vehicles passing through the inspection facility, at which point TIDE was called to assist, CHP spokesman Philip Mackintosh said.
While commercial trucks routinely stop for inspection, not all vehicles passing through the facility are subjected to a K-9 search.
There was no particular reason as to why Gill's truck was chosen, Mackintosh said.
Gill remains in jail in lieu of a $4 million bail.
Trucker from British Columbia busted with cocaine - Red Bluff Daily News Online
