Published 1:49 pm Monday, October 5, 2026 By Lauren Collins/Black Press A man who attempted to smuggle cannabis in his suitcase on a flight to London’s Heathrow Airport has been sentenced. Alaaddin Koc, from Windsor, Ont., pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for the purpose of exportation on July 27 following an investigation by the RCMP’s Federal Policing Pacific Region. He was given a one-year prison sentence and a lifetime firearms ban on Sept. 1. Koc, 56, was caught attempting to smuggle cannabis in his luggage on a flight from Vancouver International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport in 2024. Canada Border Services Agency intercepted Koc at the Vancouver airport, seizing approximately 31 kilograms of cannabis from his suitcase on Oct. 28, 2024. Koc was arrested by members of the Federal Policing Pacific Region’s border integrity team and released pending further investigation. Police say charges were later approved under the Cannabis Act, but Koc failed to show up in court and a Canada-wide arrest warrant was issued. He was later found in Ontario. RCMP Staff Sgt. Rhonda Hislop said that while cannabis is legal in Canada, there is still an active illicit market. “The outbound flow of illicit drugs is a continued focus of multiple international partners and is a priority for the FPPR Border Integrity Program,” said Hislop, the acting officer in charge of the program for air and marine.
Ontario man sentenced for attempting to smuggle cannabis on Vancouver-London flight
