ESTEVAN — The two B.C. residents charged in a drug bust in Estevan in October 2024 learned their sentencing fates May 4 in Court of King’s Bench in Estevan.
As per the terms of a joint submission from the federal Crown prosecutor and defence attorneys, 24-year-old Minhaaz Aryan Ali was sentenced to two years in custody going forward, while Cristina McGillivray, 23, received a conditional sentence order (CSO) of two years less a day.
Each had pleaded guilty March 16 to one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. Another charge of trafficking cocaine was stayed against each.
Ali received a two-year sentence on the possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine charge, and a concurrent one-year sentence for the possessing the proceeds of crime offence.
They had spent about six months in custody each after their arrest. The time in remand was not applied to their sentences.
During the sentencing, Justice Graeme Mitchell recapped the facts of the case presented by federal prosecutor Scott Moffat, and defence attorneys Logan Marchand, who represented Ali, and Bhavan Jaggi, who represented McGillivray.
Drawing from Marchand’s statement, Mitchell noted Ali was an excellent student and planned to study engineering in university until the death of his maternal grandparents and a step-father, which Mitchell said resulted in depression. At that time, people Ali knew introduced him to drugs and trafficking.
“By his own account, Mr. Ali foolishly took up the drug trade. He admits this was a serious life mistake and he deeply regrets it,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell noted he had the benefit of a pre-sentence report from the B.C. Corrections on McGillivray, which provided background on her. The report noted that Ali and McGillivray were in a relationship, which the report described as “toxic”, at the time of their October 2024 arrest.
“I am persuaded that both of these accused are remorseful for their criminality and are committed to leading a pro-social life in the years ahead. Each of them is a young individual, intelligent, with a strong support system of family and friends," Mitchell said. "I believe that each of them has learned their lesson, and wants to turn their lives around.”
Mitchell noted both have not had any violations of their bail since their release in April 2025.
Ali will begin serving his sentence in Saskatchewan but is to eventually be transferred to B.C. to complete the sentence closer to his family. McGillivray will serve her CSO in B.C. Her sentence has numerous standard conditions that Mitchell described as "strict", which she will have to abide by for two years.
Mitchell applauded Moffat, Marchand and Jaggi for their efforts to reach the joint sentencing submission.
Background: Moffat said that on Oct. 29, 2024, members of the Estevan Police Service (EPS) were conducting surveillance on a residence in the 1200-block of Third Street. He noted officers observed two people briefly enter and then exit a vehicle.
Later that night, he said a member of the EPS stopped the same vehicle under the Traffic Safety Act. When the officer asked the occupants, Ali and McGillivray, what they were doing that night in Estevan, Moffat said Ali replied he came with relatives in Regina and they were “sightseeing” in Estevan.
Police dog Max of the EPS searched the vehicle, Moffat said, and gave a positive indication for drugs on the front driver’s-side door, and Ali and McGillivray were arrested.
Between the vehicle and a hotel room, police located 163 grams of cocaine in 184 individual dime bags, and 373.9 grams of crack cocaine in more than 600 dime bags, along with $5,395 in cash.
According to information released by the Estevan Police Service at the time, the estimated street value of the drugs was $80,000.
