The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police seized 406 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine at a border crossing south of Manitoba earlier this month.

It is the largest drug seizure by the Canada Border Services Agency in the history of the Prairies.

Insp. Joe Tilos with the RCMP Federal Police Unit in Manitoba said, "There is no doubt their work has had an impact and will incredibly stop the availability of this dangerous drug, which has already affected many people's lives."

According to Ken MacGregor, Chief Operations Officer of the Canada Border Services Agency, the seizure took place on January 14 at the Port of Entry in Boissevain after inspecting a transport truck headed to Winnipeg from the United States.

He said, "This truck was selected for further inspection," "and during this inspection, officers found drugs in several large bags."

The Canada Border Services Agency said the seized drugs are valued at approximately $50,780,000.

The driver was charged with importing methamphetamine and possession for the purpose of trafficking and will appear in a Manitoba court in February.

Tilos said that despite the arrest of the accused and the seizure of the drugs, there is still much investigative work to be done.

He added, "This type of seizure is usually the result of intensive investigations lasting years," "in this case, we have an enormous amount of drugs, and we now need to work backward and look into every detail."

Tilos believes that because of the origin and size of the shipment, organized crime at local, national, and international levels is involved, and the drugs could have been distributed in Winnipeg, Western Canada, and Ontario.

He explained, "Large shipments of illegal drugs like this, and the subsequent distribution of these drugs, are closely linked to increased violence in our communities, as street gangs and organized crime networks fight over territories and who can sell to users."

"That is why this seizure is very important. It will make a difference in the lives of many communities across our country."