The case stems from an incident on Feb. 19 when Canada Border Services
Agency officers discovered roughly 66 kilograms
of cannabis in two bags (33 kg in each) slated for a commercial flight. The
luggage belonged to two German citizens who were traveling separately and were
not known to each other. RCMP officers initially detained both passengers, but
each denied ownership of the suitcases.
A further RCMP investigation revealed that the two suitcases
were identical and that neither passenger had checked them in. Investigators
determined that an Air Canada employee working in the airport’s baggage‑handling
area had affixed luggage tags bearing the passengers’ names to the bags that
contained the cannabis. The employee, identified as 32‑year‑old Atasha Weathley of Mississauga, is now
facing two charges:
- Possession
for the purpose of export, contrary to section 11(2) of the Cannabis Act.
- Conspiracy
to commit an indictable offence, contrary to section 465(1)(c) of the Criminal
Code.
Both German nationals cooperated fully with the police. They
were released without charges.
Weathley was held for bail, released on conditions, and is
scheduled to appear in Brampton Courthouse on April 10.
Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018, but the
Cannabis Act strictly prohibits the export of the drug without a license. The
law aims to prevent illegal trafficking.
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