Hamilton man pleads guilty in helicopter drug smuggling scheme

A Hamilton man has pleaded guilty and faces up to five years in prison after attempting to smuggle cannabis across the United States border in a helicopter.

Police say that the man played a role in a drug smuggling scheme to get cannabis across the border in Niagara.

The US attorney’s office of New York alleges that the accused and a co-conspirator flew a helicopter across the border to Beaver Island Park on Grand Island, New York.

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There, they left four red duffle bags that were found by U.S. border patrol agents. The bags contained 49 kilograms of cannabis.

In addition to smuggling, the duo turned off the helicopter transponder, failed to check-in with the required towers and failed to submit a required flight plan.

Raminderjit Assi, 28, of Hamilton has pleaded guilty to the importation of cannabis into the United States and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assi is scheduled to be sentenced in a New York court on October 16.

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