CUSTOMS: Guns and criminals turned away at the borders
By Erin Perkins
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers had a busy June seizing illegal weapons and turning convicted criminals away.
Shot gun on back of bike stopped
Border Services Officers (BSOs) at the Port of Carson in Grand Forks refused entry of a 12-gauge shot-gun an American traveller was carrying on the back of his motorcycle, Wednesday, June 6.
According to a report by CBSA, the U.S. resident was coming to Canada and then onto Alaska for vacation. He declared the weapon, which did not have a locking mechanism and was placed in an accessible unlocked bag on his motorcycle. He told the officer he wanted it for wildlife protection. He had planned on travelling through provincial and federal parks and other popular tourist areas on his way through.
The officer informed the man of the rules around safe transport and storage of firearms in Canada and then advised him to either ship the firearm to Alaska or find a safe place to store the weapon. The traveler voluntarily returned to the U.S.
Semi-automatic pistol seized at Midway
An American man traveling to Canada to visit family was arrested and fined $1,000 after a nine millimetre semi-automatic pistol was found concealed in his vehicle in the driver’s side floor compartment for the stow-and-go seat, Friday, June 15.
When initially questioned, the man had stated he did not have any firearms or weapons. When officers did a secondary search they discovered the weapon, they seized the pistol and the vehicle and arrested the man. The vehicle was given a $1,000 term of release, which the traveler paid before returning to the U.S.
Lying will get you nowhere
An American traveler learned that lying will get you nowhere when he tried to gain entry to Canada through the Port of Cascade in Christina Lake, Wednesday, June 27.
The man and his friend were questioned about being convicted of any crimes. The one man denied having a criminal conviction. Officers soon discovered he had been refused entry into Canada in 2003 for being convicted of criminal sexual conduct in Minnesota and served a 24-month prison term. The officers gave the traveller a rehabilitation package with instructions on what he needs to do before he’ll be able to enter Canada again. Both travelers returned to the U.S.
Another U.S. resident was turned away from the border at Carson on Tuesday, June 19 when he informed the officers he was planning on moving and seeking employment in Canada without proper documentation. He was issued an exclusion order, which prohibits him from entering Canada for one year and was returned to the U.S.
The ports of Midway, Cascade and Carson are all part of the Okanagan and Kootenay districts, which includes 16 ports of entry. Border Services Officers (BSOs) are responsible for more than 90 acts and regulations under the Customs Act, Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.
