Another Canadian has been charged for his alleged role in an international drug trafficking network. The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) said the 24-year-old man was arrested at a home in Cambridge, Ont., on Aug. 26 and charged him with exporting cocaine and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. They did not identify the man but said he played a key role in the drug ring. “We would refer to him as the recruiter’s boss. So he coordinated some of the efforts to ensure the exportation occurred,” said Staff Sgt. Ian Young, with WRPS. In September 2025, customs agents at Hong Kong International Airport found 25 kilograms of cocaine in a checked suitcase belonging to a Cambridge woman. Jade, who was 19 years old at the time, was one of four Canadians arrested in Hong Kong over a four-month period. Officials said they recovered almost 100 kilograms of cocaine in their luggage. W5, the investigative reporting unit at CTV News, spoke to the four alleged drug mules. Jade said she had responded to a job posting for an “international package shipper” with a salary of $5,000 per trip. In a text conversation with the recruiter, she was also told her employer would “pay your flights, accommodation, food.” W5 identified Jade’s alleged recruiter as Cameron DeSousa. He denied any knowledge of the trafficking scheme. “I thought it was jewelry,” he told W5’s Avery Haines. “I promise I thought it was jewelry. I don’t know, I am literally just a sales rep.” Waterloo Regional Police arrested DeSousa on Aug. 13 and charged him with exporting a schedule I substance and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. They also arrested a 36-year-old Markham man in June. Alexander Kwan was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession for the purpose of exportation. Investigators believe he was a driver for the couriers. The alleged drug mules identified their boss as “Dot,” who used punctuation as his signature. They also told W5 the “Dot” network was actively recruiting young people in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. Cocaine sells for about $200 a gram in Hong Kong, more than double the going rate in Canada. The penalties are also severe. Unless the accused Canadians can prove they didn’t know about the drugs, they could be sentenced to life behind bars. Jade’s mother, Naderia, said Jade has spent this week in court preparing documents for her defence. “Despite authorities here looking at Jade as a victim , she’s seen by Hong Kong authorities as a criminal,” Naderia told CTV Kitchener. Naderia said the case is far from closed. “The way I view the arrest is justice for her and what they have done to her, what they have taken away from us,” she said. Naderia admits it has been difficult being without her daughter but they can’t give up. “I continue to fight for my daughter and innocent people that they have trafficked,” she said With reporting from W5’s Avery Haines
