Canadian Man Arraigned On Drug Charges Following Extradition To United States In Case Involving Largest Seizure Of Cocaine In District History

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr, announced today that Harinder Dhaliwal, 44, was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder. Dhaliwal was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2014 along with co-defendants Alvin Randhawa and Gursharan Singh on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine and marijuana, conspiracy to export cocaine, attempt to export cocaine, conspiracy to import marijuana, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2007 and May 2011, Dhaliwal conspired with others to smuggle cocaine into Canada from the United States and marijuana into the United States from Canada via several international bridges located including ones in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Investigators believe that approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine were trafficked during the course of the conspiracy. 

Also charged in the conspiracy were Ravinder Arora, Michael Bagri and Parminder Sidhu. All three defendants have been convicted. 

Dhaliwal pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and is being detained pending trial. Extradition proceedings are underway to bring Alvin Randhawa and Gursharan Singh, who are also in Canada, to the Western District of New York.
 
Today’s arraignment is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero, Officers from the United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Rose Hilmey, Acting Director of Field Operations, the Peel Regional Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jennifer Evans, the Canada Border Services Agency, under the direction of Rick Comerford, Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region and the Toronto Police, under the direction of Chief William Blair.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.