Two men are in custody on suspicion of drug smuggling after police discovered a "significant" amount of cocaine on their sailboat as it arrived in Port Hardy, B.C., Saturday morning.
A 39-year-old from Victoria, B.C., and a 38-year-old foreign national were arrested by the RCMP's drug enforcement branch after the Marine Security Operations Centre alerted them to a possible smuggling operation. Both men have been charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking.
Sgt. Dave Goddard of the RCMP Federal Drug Enforcement Unit told ctvbc.ca that the men gave false information about their sailboat when they were hailed by marine security Saturday morning.
"When we get this type of info, it does raise various red flags," he said.
Upon boarding the ship, Port Hardy RCMP arrested the two men and federal drug enforcement officers seized what police are calling a "significant" amount of cocaine. The exact amount has not been released, as the investigation is ongoing.
The first court appearance for both men is scheduled for March 10 in Victoria, B.C.
Police say there is no connection between the two men and an American man who was shipwrecked near Kyuquot, B.C., sometime last week. Keith Carver of Arizona was detained by authorities immediately after his rescue because he was said to be inadmissible to Canada.
Carver was turned over to Canada Border Service Agency on Friday; CBSA officials told ctvbc.ca that he was released from their custody on Sunday night, when his return to the U.S. was confirmed.
