Mohave County, AZ – A Canadian trucker indicted in March by a Mohave County grand jury in an alleged $12.7 million big rig drug trafficking operation is seeking to return home over fears of contracting COVID-19.

Two truck drivers, Beyan Mohammed Beyan, 30, and Samatar Shafi Ahmed, 36, both of Canada, are each facing felony charges of transportation of dangerous drugs for sale and transportation of narcotic drugs for sale stemming from a smuggling bust on February 20.

Detectives with the Bullhead City Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team (M.A.G.N.E.T) pulled over a tractor-trailer at milepost 33 on Interstate 40, just west of Kingman.

Investigators located approximately 370 lbs. of cocaine and 220 lbs. of meth.

Officials say both have a combined street value of about $12.7 million.

One day after their arrest, Lake Havasu City Justice of the Peace released the two men on their own recognizance, without bond, but required they remain in Arizona and wear a GPS monitor.

However, a subsequent order by Mohave Superior Court Judge Derek Carlisle allowed for the indicted truck drivers to leave Arizona by paying a $10,000 bond and a $75,000 bond if they sought to travel to or reside in Canada while awaiting trial.

On Monday, Ahmed’s attorney, Shawn Hamp, filed a request asking for reconsideration of Judge Carlisle’s release order.

Arguing that Ahmed’s pre-existing, “life-long” medical ailments such as “severe asthma” is placing him at higher risk of contracting coronavirus, Hamp asked that Ahmed be allowed to return to Canada where his “wife and young child” reside.

The issue, Hamp says, is that Ahmed is “unable to afford” the $75,000 bond, and because Arizona is under a stay-at-home order, Ahmed has not been able to find employment.

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Additionally, Hamp contends his client has lost his health insurance and Canadian postal regulations do not allow for his family to mail him his inhaler.

“The result is that he is facing a global health crisis for which vascular disease places him at higher risk without health insurance or even the medicine he needs to treat his asthma even without contracting the virus,” Hamp argues in court documents.

If Ahmed is allowed to return to Canada, it is worth noting that, should he fail to appear for his trial in June, Canada has an extradition treaty with the U.S.

Transportation Nation Network will continue to follow this case.

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