Sukhvinder Kaur Sangha Sentenced To 5½ Years For Smuggling 108 Kg Of Meth Into Canada

A British Columbia woman, Sukhvinder Kaur Sangha, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison after attempting to smuggle 108 kilograms of methamphetamine into Canada from the United States.

“A British Columbia woman who worked in Punjabi-language broadcasting has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison after attempting to smuggle more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine into Canada from the United States”

CBC

The sentence was handed down by the B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on April 10, with Justice John Gibb-Carsley delivering the ruling.

CBC

Sangha pleaded guilty to unlawful importation in 2024 after she was arrested by the Canada Border Services Agency following a high-speed escape from a border crossing in Surrey, B.C., in October 2021.

The court found that Sangha showed up at the Pacific Border crossing on Oct. 21, 2021, in a rental car with Florida plates, telling guards she had been in Washington state for her aunt's funeral.

The ruling says a search of the vehicle turned up four duffel bags containing 108 kilograms of methamphetamine, with an estimated value of between $1 million and $10 million.

CBC reported that Sangha was arrested after she fled a border crossing in Surrey, B.C., at "high speed" in a rental vehicle in October 2021, and that the judge concluded her testimony was untruthful.

In Surrey Now-Leader, the same case is described as a sentencing for Sangha’s Oct. 18, 2021 crime, with Justice John Gibb-Carsley sentencing her on April 10 in New Westminster for her Oct. 18, 2021 smuggling attempt.

The case centered on what happened after a Canada Border Services Agency officer directed Sangha to secondary inspection at the Pacific Border Crossing in Surrey.

Surrey Now-Leader says that when a CBSA officer told her her car would be subjected to a secondary search, she fled at high speed, and that the CBSA officers chased her, arrested her, searched her car and found 108 kilograms of methamphetamine in duffle bags in the trunk.

Surrey Now-Leader

Vancouver Sun adds that Sangha sped away from border guards after being asked to pull over for a vehicle search, but was slowed down by rush hour traffic and arrested.

Vancouver Sun also places the timing at “On Oct. 18, 2021, at 4:20 p.m.” and says Sangha drove a rental car with a Florida licence plate to the Pacific Crossing in Surrey, showed her passport and said she had flown to Washington the day before for her aunt’s funeral.

The Vancouver Sun account says another border officer chased her with emergency lights on, honking at her to pull over, and that police found four duffel bags with the drugs and two iPhones and an erased iPad.

CBC similarly reports that the ruling says Sangha fled the border crossing after being flagged for a secondary search of the vehicle, leading to a chase before she was pulled over on 16th Avenue in Surrey.

In terms of legal posture, Surrey Now-Leader says Sangha was charged with one count of unlawful importation of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing methamphetamine for the purposes of trafficking contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and that on October 31, 2024, she pleaded guilty to the unlawful importation charge while the Crown stayed the possession-for-trafficking charge.

Sangha’s defense centered on alleged threats and coercion, but the sentencing judge rejected her account as untruthful.

“Sukhvinder Kaur Sangha, 47, sped away from border guards after being asked to pull over for a vehicle search, but was slowed down by rush hour traffic and arrested You can save this article by registering for freehere”

Vancouver Sun

Surrey Now-Leader says the primary dispute on sentencing was “Ms. Sangha’s moral blameworthiness,” and it quotes the judge’s description of Sangha’s claim that she was informed, indirectly, that if she did not pay $150,000, her teenage son would be harmed or killed.

Surrey Now-Leader reports that Sangha testified that she ultimately chose to import the drugs in lieu of paying the $150,000, and it says her lawyer argued for an “appropriate” conditional sentence—house arrest—below two years, followed by three years probation.

CBC reports that the ruling says Sangha gave "untruthful testimony" by claiming she was being threatened and coerced into smuggling the drugs, and it quotes Justice John Gibb-Carsley’s reasoning that her untruthful testimony "negates the remorse that would otherwise be evinced through her guilty plea."

CBC also says that text message evidence led the judge to believe Sangha was likely a "trusted and willing participant" in the drug smuggling operation rather than a victim of coercion, having claimed she'd received threats against her son.

Vancouver Sun adds that during a three-day hearing, Sangha said she imported the drugs to pay someone who was threatening to kill or harm her then-teenage son if she didn’t pay $150,000, and it says her lawyer argued her circumstances amount to “near duress” or coercion.

Vancouver Sun further states that the prosecutor said her testimony should not be accepted as truthful, and that Gibb-Carsley agreed, while also describing the judge’s view that the threat narrative was not credible.

The sentencing record described a dispute over moral blameworthiness and the appropriate length of incarceration, with the Crown seeking a much longer term than the defense.

Surrey Now-Leader says the Crown argued for an “appropriate” prison term of 10 to 12 years, while Sangha’s lawyer sought an “appropriate” conditional sentence—house arrest—below two years, followed by three years probation.

CBC

CBC reports that Justice John Gibb-Carsley said Sangha showed up at the Pacific Border crossing on Oct. 21, 2021, in a rental car with Florida plates, telling guards she had been in Washington state for her aunt's funeral, and that the judge found her testimony untruthful.

CBC also states that the judge wrote that text message evidence led him to believe Sangha was likely a "trusted and willing participant" rather than a victim of coercion, and that the texts showed she had imported drugs at other times before her arrest.

CBC further says the language and tone she used when arranging cross-border trips did "not accord with her narrative that she was fearful."

Vancouver Sun reports that the prosecutor stressed that if such crimes aren’t sufficiently penalized, gangs will use individuals like Sangha with the promise they won’t receive lengthy sentences if caught.

Surrey Now-Leader quotes the judge’s deterrence logic, saying that if people in Sangha’s position escape consequences, “it sends a message to organized crime and drug traffickers to recruit these individuals to participate with the promise of money and without the fear of lengthy incarceration.”

Beyond the mechanics of the border arrest, the sentencing materials and reporting described Sangha’s background and the personal stakes for her family.

“Punjabi radio/TV host gets 5”

Surrey Now-Leader

CBC says Sangha, now 47, was born in Prince George and worked for a decade as a Punjabi language radio and television producer who produced news stories about crime and interviewed "ministers, celebrities, members of provincial Parliament, and police officers."

Surrey Now-Leader

Surrey Now-Leader adds that Sangha lives in Burnaby and for the past 10 years has worked in media as a Punjabi language producer and broadcaster for radio and television, and it quotes the judge noting she had dealt with gang-related issues and drug-related issues happening with the youth, especially in Surrey, British Columbia.

Surrey Now-Leader also says she assisted in organizing a rally to bring awareness to the community regarding the danger of youth crime and drug use, and it quotes the judge describing her media role in detail.

Vancouver Sun reports that all three of her sons, including the younger two who live at home, depend on her for financial and other support, and it says Sangha is divorced and cares for her sick 78-year-old mother and pays all the bills.

CBC says the judge noted Sangha "has some celebrity profile in her community as a Punjabi language radio and television host and media presence."

In the end, the judge told Sangha, “My hope is that you can use your time of incarceration productively and positively such that this is your last interaction with the criminal justice system,” framing the sentence as a final step in the criminal justice process.