GurAmrit Sidhu, a 62-year-old Canadian man extradited to the US on drug trafficking charges between the two countries, pleaded guilty to leading a criminal organization that smuggled hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine worth up to $17 million. And that smuggling took almost a month, Sidhu has now accepted this. He remains in federal custody through October 2024 after being extradited from Canada.According to his plea agreement, from September 2020 to February 2023, Sidhu led an organization responsible for smuggling drugs from the US to Canada for distribution. From September 13, 2022, to October 24, 2022, Sidhu planned eight separate drug distributions, totaling approximately 523 kilograms (1,153 lb) of methamphetamine and 347 kilograms (765 lb) of cocaine, which were seized by law enforcement. The wholesale value of the drugs was approximately $15 million to $17 million, court documents said. After purchasing large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine in the US, Sidhu arranged to transport the narcotics to Canada via long-haul semi-trucks for further distribution. Sidhu provided telephone numbers and serial numbers on bills of currency to couriers to use as “tokens” for identification purposes during the delivery and transportation of cocaine and methamphetamine. Sidhu and co-conspirators then retrieved the cocaine and methamphetamine from locations in Canada for further distribution.The FBI said the Brampton man is the seventh defendant to plead guilty in the investigation. The other defendants face sentences ranging from 27 months to 108 months in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 9, where he will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, with up to life in prison. The investigation involved the FBI, Los Angeles Police Department, RCMP, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican authorities, the U.S. news release said.
