In October 2024, Canada Border Services Agency officers at Vancouver International Airport found about 31 kilograms of cannabis in a suitcase. The cannabis was packed in plastic bags and was headed for London Heathrow.
Alaaddin Koc was arrested by RCMP border integrity officers and released while the investigation continued. According to the RCMP, he then missed a court date, and a Canada-wide warrant was issued. He was later found in Ontario.
Koc pleaded guilty in July 2026 to possession of cannabis for the purpose of exportation. On September 21, 2026, he was sentenced to one year in prison and given a lifetime firearms prohibition. The RCMP release describes him as a Windsor, Ontario man.
Why it matters: Cannabis is legal in Canada for adults, but taking it out of the country is a serious offence. Border officers screen outbound as well as inbound luggage, and the other country's laws apply at the destination too.
Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), 2026-10-05. Forgotten Prisoner's account is based on this reporting. An arrest or charge is not proof of guilt.