Former border guard convicted in drug smuggling case

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A former border guard who worked at the Peace Arch crossing has been convicted in a drug smuggling case.
    
Baljinder Kandola was arrested in 2007 after two men were caught with 208 kilograms of cocaine and guns in their semi.

The drugs were worth between $5-million and $6-million.

At his trial, Kandola testified he thought the men were smuggling car parts to avoid paying duty.

Kandola admitted, however, to accepting up to $10,000 in bribes from one of the men.

He also didn’t deny that he didn’t enter information about the two men into his work computer when they crossed into Canada.

“Under cross-examination, Kandola’s testimony was replete with answers like, ‘I can’t remember’, ‘I don’t know’, and ‘I don’t recall’,” BC Supreme Court Justice Selwyn Romilly says in his ruling.  “It is fair to say that throughout his testimony Kandola seemed to have a very selective memory of events.”

Romilly says it was clear the men in the truck were not smuggling car parts and dismissed Kandola’s claims.

Kandola’s co-accused, Shminder Johal, was also convicted in the case.

The two men will be sentenced next week.

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