Traffic at the United States and Canadian borders continues to increase according to information released by the Canadian Border Services Agency following their assessment of vehicle volume in December, 2011.
At the North Portal crossing on Highway 39, a 24-hour per day port; there was a nine per cent increase in traffic this past year compared with December of 2010. The traffic count totalled 22,270. Commercial truck traffic was up by an impressive 23 per cent to 9,295.
During the month of December, there were 52 people denied entry into Canada, nine for serious criminality and the remaining 41 for minor criminal records or who were judged to be non-genuine visitors and/or for other inadmissibility reasons.
At the Estevan Highway (No. 47) crossing, traffic was also up by five per cent to 4,919 passengers with commercial truck volume doubled to 314 compared with 2010 figures from December. Six people were refused entry into Canada at the Estevan Highway crossing, one of them for serious criminality reasons.
Some of the examples of inadmissible people/events included a commercial truck driver who attempted to enter on Dec. 11. When his record was checked, it was noted that he had a prior conviction of criminal sexual misconduct, so he was denied entry.
On that same day, a United States resident stated she was entering Canada to visit her boyfriend. She was travelling with her three children. During the interview she made several inconsistent statements so additional checks were made with her family and the children's father where more questions were raised.
The woman finally admitted she was moving to Canada to live with her boyfriend and that she had lied to her family and the children's father. She was refused entry for being a non-genuine visitor and had failed to answer the border official's questions truthfully as well as for violating a custody order by attempting to bring the children into Canada for an extended period.
On Dec. 16, a Missouri man was refused entry after a background check revealed an extensive history with Canadian Border Services officials. He had been refused entry numerous times and had been previously deported, had also worked illegally in Canada and was caught smuggling goods into Canada. He had several criminal convictions in the United States.
On Dec. 17, a North Dakota resident attempted to enter Canada to spend the night in Estevan. The man was refused entry since he had previous convictions for trespassing, possession of a switchblade, driving with a suspended licence and giving a false report to a police officer.
On Christmas Day a California resident stated she was meeting people in central Saskatchewan before heading to Alaska. CBSA officers were suspicious of the woman's intentions and through further questioning she admitted she did not know anyone in Canada and had no ties to California. She was seen to be criminally inadmissible for impaired driving, assault and theft incidents in the past. It was also noted the woman had attempted to cross the border in Alberta three days later and was again refused entry.
CBSA officials also spent a good deal of time ferreting out inadmissible goods, such as an incident on Dec. 3 when a Michigan man transiting to Alaska was subjected to a secondary examination by border officials who used an X-ray unit on baggage and it revealed a prohibited switchblade and a 12 to 30 round ammunition magazine. Officers then uncovered a second switchblade in the man's pocket. He was issued a $1,000 penalty and his weapons were seized while he was refused entry.
On Dec. 9, CBSA officers seized 19 doses of ephedrine HCL and 41 pills of oxymetholone from an Ontario man who was travelling to northern Alberta for work. The pills were seized and the man was issued a penalty.
The CBSA detector dog Holly was involved in two significant seizures over the Christmas holiday season.
On Dec. 21, the dog helped officers find a total of 28 grams of marijuana being carried by an Alberta resident. The drugs were concealed inside several pairs of socks and a plastic bag. The man was arrested and then turned over to members of the Estevan detachment of the RCMP.
Two days later, Holly indicated there were some contraband substances in a bag and a suitcase belonging to an Idaho male who was coming to visit his family for Christmas. CBSA officers followed up on the dog's signals and uncovered two containers of marijuana several pipes and a loaded .38 calibre handgun in the bag while the suitcase contained marijuana laced brownies. Officers seized a total of 16.1 grams of marijuana, 1.03 kilograms of marijuana brownies and the prohibited handgun. The man was arrested and turned over to the RCMP, refused entry and penalized a total of $5,128.
On Dec. 11, an Alberta couple was issued a $1,070 penalty after they failed to declare $4,262 in various goods including tires, auto parts, footwear and a laptop computer. If the goods had been properly declared, they would have paid a total tax of just under $43.
On Christmas Eve, a Saskatchewan resident was given a $2,946 yuletide gift from CBSA after he failed to declare $11,786 in modifications made to his two snowmobiles while he was in the U.S. He told officers he had paid $3,000 for labour only and that he had supplied the parts that had been purchased in Canada. Had the declaration been made honestly, the man would have paid $117.86.
CBSA offer some tips to Canadians who plan on making online purchases and having the goods shipped to a United States address for pickup. They say that when travelling to pick up your shipment, be sure to print out your online receipt and take it with you. Not all shippers will send a receipt with the product and this information is necessary for proper processing the items at the border.
CBSA also note that Jan. 26 is International Customs Day. This special day recognizes the efforts of the men and women working customs organizations worldwide and their role in ensuring that communities remain safe, secure and propserious. This tradition provides an opportunity to recognize excellent work carried out each day by CBSA officers across Canada, all of whom play a vital role in contributing to the security and prosperity of our country.
Questions concerning CBSA services may be obtained by contacting them toll free at their information line 1-800-461-9999.
