Top five stories of the year for Calgary

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is pleased to release highlights of its 2016 Calgary operations.

New terminal: On October 31, the CBSA said goodbye to the old and hello to the new as it moved Canada’s fourth largest airport operation in the middle of the night into the new international terminal at YYC Calgary International Airport. Since opening day, over 390,000 travellers have been welcomed into the new modern space. The two most popular features for travellers arriving in Canada are the automated border kiosks (ABC) and the secure connections corridor. The ABC allows for faster border clearance and has been used by over 250,000 travellers. The secure connections corridor eliminates the need for additional screening for connecting passengers.

Carfentanil: CBSA officers seized one kilogram of the deadly opioid that was destined to a Calgary residence. The parcel was imported from China and intercepted at the Vancouver International Mail Centre. Its contents were declared as printer accessories. Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged a Calgary man and the matter is currently before the courts.

Commercial Operations: Calgary is the region’s hub for courier shipments. In 2016, Commercial Operations examined nearly 2.2 million courier shipments and made 946 enforcement actions. In 2016, Commercial Operations also executed over a million releases, approximately 20,000 more than in 2015. In October, officers seized 600 overcapacity magazines in a shipment destined for a Manitoba business. The shipment originated from Germany and the magazines were not accurately declared.

Trade Operations finds NAFTA violation: Calgary Trade Operations Division (TOD) uncovered that a United States garment supplier had failed to pay more than $328,648 in duties owed on more than $1 million of imported goods from 2012. After conducting an on-site verification, CBSA officers found there was a significant quantity of T-shirts that had been incorrectly declared under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In order to qualify for preferential tariff treatment under NAFTA, the goods must be accompanied by a certificate of origin from the United States or Mexico. However, these goods were from an unknown country or non-party to NAFTA. In addition to being charged the outstanding duty, the company was also issued a monetary penalty of $2,550 for failure to file corrections within 90 days of the date of determination.

Significant smuggling sentence: The seizure of a prohibited 9mm handgun on July 1 at the Coutts border crossing resulted in a significant jail sentence for a Nevada man. Corey Barrick Pence nee Baird, 43, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to Calgary Criminal Investigations charges of unlawfully importing a prohibited firearm and possessing a loaded prohibited firearm without authorization under the Criminal Code. On December 14, 2016 in Lethbridge Provincial Court, he was sentenced to three years’ incarceration for each charge, to be served concurrently. This is the most significant CBSA firearms sentence in Alberta since July 2012.

 

Quotes

 

“This has been a significant year for Calgary operations. From significant prosecutions to ensuring trade legislation is followed, Calgary operations continue to go above and beyond to protect Canada.”

 

-    Greg Valentine, A/Director, Central Alberta District, Canada Border Services Agency

 

 

 

Quick Facts

 

•  In 2016, CBSA officers at YYC processed over 2.4 million travellers and over 22,000 flights.
•  Officers completed 9,529 permanent resident landings, and issued 9,207 work permits and 3,812 study permits.
•  While fulfilling their duty to facilitate travellers entering Canada, officers also executed 1,076 seizure actions.
•  CBSA officers made 56 currency seizures with a value of nearly one million dollars. Anytime travellers cross the border, they must declare any currency or monetary instruments valued at Can$10,000 or more. There are no restrictions on the amount of money you can bring into or take out of Canada, nor is it illegal to do so. but it must be declared.

 

 

Related Products

 

CBSA in Calgary releases highlights from 2015 

CBSA welcomes travellers in new international terminal at YYC

Calgary officer recognized by the Governor General of Canada

Calgary man charged with illegal importation of narcotic more dangerous than fentanyl

 

 

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Contacts

CBSA Media Relations – Prairie Region

1-844-245-2272

prairiemedia@cbsa.gc.ca

 

 

Follow the Prairie Region on Twitter @CanBorderPRA