7 kilos of meth found smuggled in spare tire at Woodstock car dealership
Smugglers using tires in new vehicles to get drugs from Mexico to Canada, police say
Woodstock police say they discovered seven kilograms of what are believed to be smuggled methamphetamine pills stashed in a spare tire last month after they got a tip from a Ford dealership.
Police Chief Mitch MacMillian confirmed the department got a call Feb. 6 from the Corey Ford dealership about a suspicious tire they found in a new truck.
Corey Ford had already been alerted by Ford Canada that drugs were being smuggled into the country in Ford tires from Mexico.
"They checked the vehicle that was indicated and found that it did have what they believe to be a suspicious tire," MacMillan said.
When police checked the tire, they found drugs around the rim.
Ontario police investigating
While the drugs were found in New Brunswick, the OPP, the Canadian Border Security Agency and the Sûreté de Québec are handling the investigation.
The Ontario Provincial Police said late last month that a joint investigation was underway into illicit drugs from Mexico being brought across the Canadian border.
OPP Deputy Commissioner Rick Barnum said 180 kilograms of methamphetamine was removed from circulation, all of it found stuffed into spare tires. According to the OPP, the drugs had a street value of about $4.5 million.
"In Canada, the use of methamphetamine is on the rise," Barnum said.
MacMillian said the investigation has been turned over to the OPP and the drugs will be destroyed.
"We don't want that on our streets," he said. "None of it whatsoever."