Estimates of the street value of the drug vary between police jurisdictions within Canada, but Australian authorities say a kilogram of cocaine there can fetch up to $250,000, which could be up to five times higher than the price in Canada.
A spokesman for a British Columbia multi-agency initiative said Canadian criminals do not produce cocaine, much of which comes from South America.
“They’ll try to buy or barter for a kilo or however many kilos of cocaine, and then, because it’s all about making money, they look to see where they can make the most,” said Sgt. Lindsey Houghton of the Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit.
“Smuggle it into Australia. . . they can get three, four, five times the price.”