THREE South Asians are among the five individuals that are facing criminal charges in Canada Border Services Agency’s Operation Meridian, a targeted 60-day operation that took place in Southern Ontario.

Operation Meridian’s goal was to disrupt the import and export of illicit narcotics through commercial channels at ports of entry across Southern Ontario. During the operation, border services officers increased examinations of inbound and outbound commercial shipments, using detection tools and increased referrals from CBSA’s National Targeting Centre.

As a result of Operation Meridian, border services officers seized:

• 108.6235 kg of cocaine, including 223.5 g in three courier shipments
• 349.8 kg of methamphetamines
• 266 kg of khat from seven courier shipments
• 14.5 g of opium
• 8,267 kg of tobacco, 115,416 tins of nicotine and 14,400 vapourizers
• 9 firearms (including 1 stolen firearm) and 19 weapons
• US$93,100 in currency as proceeds of crime.

Roughly 90% of these seizures were attempts to smuggle into Canada, while 10% involved seizures on export.

Criminal charges were laid against five individuals and 16 other investigations remain ongoing.

Those arrested include:

• Navpreet Singh, 32, of Stoney Creek, Ontario, was arrested for attempting to smuggle 108.4 kg of cocaine at the Blue Water Bridge port of entry. Singh and the narcotics were transferred into the custody of the RCMP. Singh has been charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act with the importation of a controlled substance, and with possession for the purposes of trafficking.
• Karan Owaan, 24, of Kingston, Ontario, and Gagandeep Singh Gharail, 32, of Brampton, Ontario, were arrested for attempting to smuggle 349.8 kg of methamphetamines at the Blue Water Bridge port of entry. Both Owaan and Gharail, along with the illicit narcotics, were transferred to the custody of the RCMP. They were charged under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act with the importation of a controlled substance, and with possession for the purposes of trafficking.
• River Donell Goldwire, 25, of Covington, Georgia, was arrested for smuggling a stolen firearm at the Peace Bridge port of entry. Goldwire was charged with multiple offences under the Customs Act and Criminal Code of Canada.
• Oshin Sharara Thompson, 31, of Springfield, New York, was arrested for failing to report US$93,100 on September 17, 2025, at the Peace Bridge port of entry. Thompson was transferred into the custody of the RCMP and criminally charged under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorism Financing Act.