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A man has been acquitted after the police seizure of 27,500 fentanyl pills in a van was thrown out of court due a violation of the accused’s Charter rights.

Sandor Rigo was driving the van from Vancouver to Calgary when he was pulled over for speeding on Highway 1 near Chilliwack on April 4, 2017.

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When an RCMP officer approached the accused’s vehicle, he noted a strong odour of either cologne or air freshener, which he believed was often used by drug traffickers and couriers to mask the odour of narcotics.

He observed several cellphones between the driver and the passenger seats, indicating a “red flag” for drug activity.

The officer noted that Rigo’s right hand and arm were shaking violently, which Rigo attributed to being low on sugar and needing to eat something.

When the officer ran Rigo’s name through a police database, it showed he had a criminal record but nothing to indicate prior drug trafficking.