Ontario trucker found at border with as much as $29M worth of meth sentenced to 12 years

A Brampton, Ont., man convicted of smuggling 200 kilograms of methamphetamine into Canada via the Ambassador Bridge has received a 12-year prison sentence.

Mohamed Ahmed Abdirahman, 40, was convicted in April on charges of importing methamphetamine and possession of the drug for the purpose of trafficking.

At the time the charges were laid in 2019, the Canada Border Services Agency said it was "the largest methamphetamine seizure, on record, for the CBSA within the past seven years."

His lawyer, Jessica Grbevski, said that she and her client were pleased with the sentence handed down Wednesday.

"It is a lot of time in jail, but it's what we're essentially asking for, the range we were expecting," she said.

The defence had sought 10 to 12 years, while the Crown had sought a stiffer 16 to 18-year sentence, Grbevski said.

Abdirahman's sentence ends in about 11 years due to credit for time served.

According to the decision,196.7 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized from inside the cab of Abdirahman's tractor-trailer as he was trying to enter Canada via the Ambassador Bridge on Dec. 24, 2019.

He was returning to Canada after driving to California for a Brampton-based trucking company. On that trip, he had correspondence with a contact dubbed "El Chapo" and took a detour to Mexico.

A law enforcement expert testified the drugs were pure and could be worth anywhere between $4.5 million or $29.4 million, depending on whether it was sold by the gram or the kilo.

During the judge-alone trial, there was no dispute the meth was found in Abdirahman's vehicle, but at issue was whether he knew about it.

CBC News has contacted the Windsor Crown attorney's office for comment.

Abdirahman is a father of two with no previous criminal record. Grbevski said he has the support of his community and she has confidence in his rehabilitation.

"He's been involved in different fundraising, assisting with youth within the community, with elderly, so he's got a lot of support," she said.