News Release

Prosecutions and Seizures

Pigeon River port of entry monthly enforcement highlights

Pigeon River, Ontario, May 6, 2013 — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) facilitates the entry of legitimate travellers and goods, while protecting the safety and security of Canadians and ensuring that Canada's borders are not used for illegal activity. This work is carried out by CBSA border services officers (BSOs) who ensure that the people, goods and conveyances entering Canada meet all requirements and are compliant with Canadian law.

In March 2013, CBSA officers at the Pigeon River port of entry (POE) processed 47,103 travellers in 22,178 vehicles, representing a 6.3 percent increase in travellers and a 0.2 percent increase in vehicle traffic compared to the same period last year. In addition, officers also processed 763 commercial drivers.

Immigration Highlights

In March, CBSA officers at the Pigeon River POE issued eight immigration documents (such as work permits, study permits and temporary resident permits). Ten individuals were given the option to voluntarily withdraw their applications to enter Canada for various admissibility issues.

On March 13, a U.S. resident arrived at the Pigeon River POE seeking temporary entry to Canada and was referred to immigration for further examination. During the secondary immigration interview, officers discovered that the traveller had been convicted for delivering lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in the United States. She was deemed inadmissible to Canada due to criminality and immediately returned to the United States.

On March 22, a U.S. resident presented himself at the POE requesting entry to Canada. The individual was referred for a secondary immigration examination where officers learned that he had one conviction for assault and four convictions for driving while impaired. The individual was deemed inadmissible to Canada and was counselled on the steps he could take to overcome his inadmissibility and re-seek entry into Canada. He was directed to return to the United States immediately following the examination.

Customs Highlights

During the month of March, CBSA officers conducted 1,967 secondary examinations for customs purposes or on behalf of other government departments, initiated six seizure actions for various offences and issued an additional 10 written warnings for undeclared or improperly reported goods.

On March 8, a Canadian resident arrived at the POE after picking up parcels in the United States. The traveller was referred into the office to pay the appropriate duties and taxes on the goods he had acquired. Inside the office, the traveller was unable to produce invoices for the purchases he made and stated that he was going to return to his vehicle to retrieve his phone and have the receipts sent. Instead, the traveller entered his vehicle with the parcels and left the POE without having his goods properly accounted for and released. Police intercepted the individual soon thereafter and returned him to the POE. As a result of his violation, the individual’s vehicle was seized and was released back to him upon payment of the terms of release totaling $1,000. After paying the taxes on his goods, he left the POE without further incident.

On March 9, two Canadian residents returned from the United States after a same-day absence from Canada. One of the travellers declared the purchase of a 2006 snowmobile at a value of US$1,800. They were referred for a secondary examination to confirm the declared value of the snowmobile and to complete the necessary documentation. After examining the snowmobile, officers had concerns about the accuracy of its declared value. Following further questioning, the traveller spontaneously admitted that he had actually paid US$2,700 and that he had a falsified invoice prepared to substantiate the undervaluation. The snowmobile was seized for the allegation of undervaluation and was released back to the traveller upon payment of a penalty amounting to $508.51. Had he properly declared the item, he would have paid only $46.23 in taxes.

On March 29, two U.S. residents arrived at the POE seeking temporary entry to Canada. During the initial questioning, the travellers replied that they were not in possession of any firearms or weapons. The travellers were referred for a secondary examination to verify their declaration. During the examination, officers found a loaded .38 calibre handgun in the centre console of the vehicle. The driver claimed possession of the firearm and was placed under arrest for smuggling a restricted/prohibited good into Canada. The CBSA charged the driver with contravening Section 12(1), Section 153(c), Section 155, and Section 159 of the Customs Act. The vehicle was also seized as a result of the non-report of the firearm and was released back to the passenger upon payment of the terms of release which amounted to $1,000. The driver appeared in court on April 19, 2013, and pled guilty to the Section 12(1) charge for failing to report his handgun to the CBSA and was ordered to pay a $2,500 fine.

Travel Tips

The CBSA reminds all travellers to truthfully declare all purchases when returning to Canada and to be mindful of the following: after an absence of 24 hours, you may bring back $200 worth of goods duty- and tax-free; after 48 hours, your personal exemption is $800. There are no personal exemptions for same-day purchases.

Please refer to the I Declare brochure on the CBSA Web site for more information.

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For media information
Caroline Desjarlais
CBSA Communications
Tel: 613-991-1591

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