Jun 6, 2023, 5:57 AM PDT
A 60-year-old American driver was arrested last week after he took a wrong turn and ended up at the Canadian border with a huge quantity of cannabis and more than $600,000 cash in his car, according to law enforcement authorities.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a news release that Andrew Lee Toppenberg was following GPS coordinates that were entered incorrectly when he mistakenly ended up in the border lineup at Canada's Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Toppenberg, of Tustin, California, was subject to an inspection because he did not have his passport with him, according to police.
Canadian border officials said that they found 181 kilograms, or about 399 pounds, of cannabis during the inspection that was valued from $269,775 to $539,552. They also found more than $600,000 cash in the vehicle, the news release said. The drugs and the money were located throughout the car, with the cannabis in vacuum-packed containers and the cash separated into bundles that were concealed in a safe, suitcase, and lockable case, according to police.
The police said the packaging looked like the sort of containers drug dealers or money launderers used, which led to them issuing charges against Toppenberg on suspicion of the possession and import of cannabis, and the possession of more than $5,000 knowing that all or parts of the proceeds were obtained by a crime.
Toppenberg appeared in an Ontario court on Monday and remained in custody, the news release said.
Jeff Walters, the director of Niagara District Operations for Canada's Border Services Agency, said in a statement: "The CBSA is extremely proud of the diligence shown by our officers. Their hard work has a profound impact on continually ensuring public safety at our borders."
