Canadian couple faces charges in U.S. for allegedly smuggling fentanyl

A Canadian couple is accused of importing fentanyl products fromChina into the United States and then mailing the powerful opioiddrugs to Canada.

Karl and Sorina Morrison, both 59, were arrested at a bordercrossing near Niagara Falls, N.Y., last month after an investigationby U.S. authorities.

[They]were attempting to smuggle the packages theyreceived from China from the United States to Canada so as to avoidexamination by the customs service of either country.- Allegations filed in U.S. court by Homeland Security

The Kitchener, Ont., couple has been charged with conspiracy toimport and export controlled substances and analogues, and attempt to export controlled substances and analogues.

Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a$1-million fine.

The couple has pleaded not guilty.

The Morrisons have a son

In a criminal complaint filed with a New York court, a HomelandSecurity agent says a package mailed from China to Karl Morrison at a mailbox in a UPS store in Niagara Falls, N.Y., contained fourpackets, two of which were found to contain types of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is an opioid-based pain killer roughly 100 timesstronger than morphine.

"The Morrisons were attempting to smuggle the packages theyreceived from China from the United States to Canada so as to avoidexamination by the customs service of either country because theMorrisons knew the contents of the packages to be contraband," agent Curtis Ryan writes in the complaint.

The complaint notes that the Morrisons have a son and that since2009, five packages mailed to him were seized by the Canada BorderServices Agency after they were found to contain controlledsubstances.

U.S. Postal Service alerted

In the current case, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service alertedRyan to a mail package that was considered suspicious because it originated from a known Chinese producer of fentanyl.

The package was addressed to Karl Morrison, who maintains a mailbox at a UPSstore in Niagara Falls, N.Y., the complaint said.

Ryan said he examined the package, which contained plastic bagswith powders. Testing revealed that at least some of the bags contained types of fentanyl.

On Oct. 15, the Morrisons entered the U.S. from Canada at theLewiston Queenston border crossing, stating that they intended to goshopping at an outlet mall, the complaint said.

'All natural cinnamon'

The pair were under surveillance as they eventually made their way to the UPS store where Karl Morrison picked up four parcels, which he placed in his trunk, the complaint said.

Morrison then opened the parcels, threw out the packagingmaterial, which had Chinese shipping labels, and repacked thecontents into new envelopes, the complaint said.

Sorina Morrison then went into the same UPS store her husband hadretrieved the original package from and mailed three new parcels to Canada, the complaint said.

She told the store employee she was shipping "all naturalcinnamon," the complaint said.

Two locations in Kitchener

Those packages were later seized as evidence and were found tohave been addressed to two locations in Kitchener, including one tothe Morrisons' home address, the complaint said.

When the pair returned to the border crossing, they were detainedby U.S. border officers.

In an interview at the border, Karl Morrison said his son hadrecently learned of his UPS mailbox in the U.S. and asked if he could have packages from Japan and China shipped there, which heagreed to, the complaint said.

Morrison said he picked up three packages for his son, which werefrom China, on Oct. 15 and said he knows his son is a drug abuser, the complaint said.

Packages mailed to son

"Albert had explained to Karl what he was having sent to themailbox in Niagara Falls," the complaint states.

"Karl Morrisonsaid he did not understand everything his son was telling him, butthat Albert said the names of the things he was sending started with'F' and 'U."'

Morrison also told authorities he and his wife mailed thepackages to their son because they did not want to carry them across the border, the complaint said.

He also said he used a randomaddress as a return address on the packages being mailed to Canada because he didn't want them to be connected to his UPS mailbox, thecomplaint said.