CBSA Prairie Region operational and enforcement highlights from 2020

Protecting and Supporting Canadians during COVID-19

December 10, 2020
Calgary, Alberta

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Prairie Region today released operational and enforcement highlights that demonstrate how CBSA employees throughout the region have worked to safeguard our communities while supporting the economy during these unprecedented times.

The 2020 operational and enforcement highlights cover January 1 to October 31, 2020.

Keeping drugs out

• At Winnipeg International Airport, Manitoba, officers examined a package and seized 516.8 grams of suspected methamphetamine on September 21.
• At the Coutts, Alberta port of entry, officers seized 30 undeclared packages, weighing 36 kg total, of suspected phenacetin from a commercial driver on May 21. Phenacetin is on the Prescription Drug List and regulated under the Food and Drugs Act. It is also commonly used by organized crime groups as a cutting agent for cocaine.
  

Intercepting guns and weapons

• In 2020, the CBSA established a Regional Firearms Working Group to concentrate its efforts on keeping illegal guns off Prairie streets. Undeclared firearms and weapons are high-risk commodities and their interdiction is a CBSA enforcement priority.
• At the North Portal, Saskatchewan port of entry, Detector Dog Chase assisted officers in intercepting 11 handguns, one restricted rifle, three firearm suppressors (silencers), and five prohibited magazines on February 22. Two travellers face charges in connection with this incident. Over the summer, officers seized another 18 firearms.
• At the Emerson, Manitoba port of entry, officers seized a prohibited AR-15 rifle, additional parts for prohibited firearms, a .22-calibre rifle, and personal quantities of suspected narcotics on August 29. One traveller was arrested and escorted back to the United States.

Audits and investigations

• In Calgary, Alberta, the Trade Operations Division in May reviewed import documentation and found that a company had been classifying steel tanks incorrectly and therefore had not been paying the correct amount of duties, tax, and, interest on its imports over the past four years. This resulted in a determination of approximately $448,000 in additional payments owed, in addition to a $500 penalty.
• In Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Trade Operations Division in February discovered that a company had used an incorrect classification to import protein bars, which resulted in avoiding paying surtax. The review was completed and the company was informed of its obligation to provide corrections for previous importations within 90 days, which the company failed to do. Using the records on file, the CBSA was able to apply multiple adjustments to the company’s previous importations of protein bars. In total, the CBSA recovered $25,000 in penalties and over $800,000 in surtax, and interest.
• At Edmonton International Airport, Alberta, officers examined a package and intercepted more than 1,000 fraudulent bus passes, worth more than $100,000 total, on June 26. One individual faces charges in connection to this incident.
• In Winnipeg, Manitoba, the CBSA Criminal Investigations Division in July announced charges against two individuals for allegedly accepting payment as unauthorized immigration consultants.
• In Regina, Saskatchewan, the CBSA Criminal Investigations Division in January announced charges against an individual who allegedly impersonated registered charities by falsifying job offer letters and then selling them, for profit, to individuals seeking to gain entry to or remain in Canada.

Additional highlights

• Since the start of the COVID pandemic, Central Alberta District Commercial Operations, in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, has seen a 30% increase in inbound commercial shipments. In order to address this significant increase, CBSA has been working with various partners to ensure it meets the demand while ensuring new safety protocols are in place. New technology, such as the eLongroom initiative, was introduced to streamline the commercial import process. This innovative process allows for less face-to-face touch points between the CBSA and clients, but still ensuring safety and security concerns are addressed. In Traveller Operations, while traffic volumes are down due to travel restrictions, the work for officers has continued. The average processing time for a traveller’s border clearance has increased due to the enhanced safety measures in place to address COVID-19, and Operations has seen an increase in private air charter activity. Collaboration with all partners involved in the border clearance process has allowed Operations to overcome the obstacles brought on by COVID and ensure a smooth process for travellers.
• At the Emerson, Manitoba port of entry, officers on August 9 intercepted an individual who was wanted in the United States in connection to a homicide investigation. They arrested the individual and returned them to the United States into the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• At the Coutts, Alberta port of entry, officers seized undeclared cash – valued at more than CAN$30,000 – from a U.S. resident in-transit to Alaska on August 1. The traveller was denied entry and the currency was not returned, as it is suspected to be proceeds of crime.
• Also at the Coutts, Alberta port of entry, officers pulled together to get Canadian snowbirds safely home near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the border rush in mid-March, officers were on average processing more than 3,500 travellers a day.
• In Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Border Information Service (BIS) responded to 67,417 emails from members of the public who were inquiring about international travel restrictions or other border-related topics. Winnipeg BIS officers also contributed to responding to the 629,752 phone inquiries the CBSA’s call centres received nationally. The BIS expanded its hours of service in response to the influx of inquiries received during the pandemic.
• At the Oungre, Saskatchewan port of entry, officers arrested a traveller after discovering child pornography on his electronic devices on January 31. The individual was turned over to the Weyburn Royal Canadian Mounted Police and charged by the Saskatchewan Internet Child Exploitation Unit.
• With Edmonton, Alberta named as a Western Conference Teams’ hub city for the National Hockey League’s (NHL) return-to-play in July, the CBSA executed a multi-agency plan for clearing the flights. NHL players and personnel began arriving to Edmonton in July and the CBSA’s team in Edmonton worked diligently to ensure a seamless border clearance process was provided for all involved.