The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is pleased to share its key highlights for 2014 from its various operations in Winnipeg, including airport, commercial and inland operations as well as the marine port of Churchill. This year, officers at Winnipeg’s James Armstrong Richardson International Airport processed over 343,145 travellers on 6,163 international flights.
In 2014, Winnipeg officers made 37 drug-related seizures at the commercial and airport operations. There were several seizures of khat, including over eight kilograms in April from a Netherlands shipment declared as a vintage stereo. In September and October, two separate shipments each containing 500 pills of suspected oxycodone and acetaminophen were found inside a package declared as cross-stitch pillows from Hong Kong. In November, over 120 g of amphetamines destined to a Morden address was seized by officers. The shipment was turned over to the Morden Police Service, which resulted in the arrest of two individuals and an additional seizure of various narcotics.
The seasonal port of Churchill closed for the 2014 shipping season, with the last vessel sailing out on November 2. CBSA officers at Churchill processed over 530,000 metric tonnes (MT) of goods including a shipment of 42,000 MT of canola valued at approximately $23 million and a shipment of 33,000 MT of Canadian western red spring wheat valued at over $9 million which is an average shipment for wheat at the port. A total of 16 commercial ships from Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan and Italy, as well as one passenger cruise ship were processed by the CBSA at Manitoba’s most northern and only marine port of entry in 2014.
In December, the CBSA was successful in prosecuting a foreign national under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for returning to Canada illegally. The man was sentenced to 30 days in jail by a Winnipeg provincial court judge. He had previously been removed to Honduras by the CBSA in July 2012 for being a member of the Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13), an organized crime group.
Additional Facts for Winnipeg operations in 2014:
- Officers completed 310 permanent resident landings, and issued 1,246 work permits and 277 study permits.
- Officers refused entry to 124 foreign nationals for criminality or other reasons.
- There were 2,709,382 commercial shipments and cargo cleared in Winnipeg.
- There were 435 hearings held before the Immigration and Refugee Board, including: 234 detention reviews, 120 appeal hearings and intervened in 22 refugee claims.
- The CBSA’s trade compliance officers in Calgary and Winnipeg completed 343 verifications which resulted in more than $2.8 million in additional duties and taxes owed to the Crown and approximately $13,800 in penalties assessed to importers.
- Winnipeg is home to one of two CBSA call centres in Canada: the Border Information Service. In 2014, agents handled 156,000 enquiries by telephone and over 35,000 by email. Queries range from traveller tips, to documents required to enter Canada, to duty rates, and import/export requirements.
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Contacts
CBSA Media Relations
1-844-245-2272
prairiemedia@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
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Photo: Sample of oxycodone seized by officers in Winnipeg on September 8, 2014.
