Raymond Boulanger

Raymond Boulanger was a Quebec pilot and convicted drug trafficker known for helping transport a large cocaine shipment from Colombia to northern Quebec in 1992.

Raymond Boulanger (1948 – 19 March 2024) was a Quebec pilot and convicted drug trafficker known for transporting a large cocaine shipment from Colombia to northern Quebec in 1992. He became widely known in Canada after the Casey cocaine landing, which was one of the largest drug seizures in the country's history. Boulanger later escaped custody at least twice and died in Montreal in March 2024.

Early life and aviation career

Raymond Boulanger was born in 1948 in Rimouski, Quebec, and worked as a pilot. Public accounts describe him as a bush pilot and later as a mercenary-linked aviator before his criminal notoriety.

1992 Casey cocaine landing

Boulanger became nationally known after landing an aircraft near Casey, Quebec, carrying roughly four tonnes of cocaine. Authorities treated the case as a landmark drug-trafficking seizure in Canada.

Imprisonment and escapes

After his conviction, Boulanger spent long periods in prison and later escaped custody at least twice according to contemporary reporting. His fugitive episodes added to his notoriety in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.

Later life and death

Boulanger was later released after serving much of his sentence. He died in Montreal on 19 March 2024, with reports stating the death was from natural causes and linked to cancer.