2024 Year in Review for Atlantic Canada: CBSA seizes 270 weapons and firearms and intercepts 132 stolen vehicles

HALIFAX, NS, Dec. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, we are proud to report on the Canada Border Services Agency's enforcement and operational activities in Atlantic Canada, from January 1 to October 31, 2024.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is Canada's first line of defence at 1,200 ports of entry across the country. Day in and day out, approximately 8,500 frontline employees play a crucial role protecting our communities by preventing illegal goods and inadmissible people from entering Canada and by securing North America as a whole.

Across the country, hundreds of CBSA criminal investigators, inland immigration investigators, hearings officers and intelligence officers work to support and enforce compliance with Canada's border laws and take action against those in violation. Abroad, approximately 60 CBSA employees in 35 countries help manage the border internationally. And, by the end of 2024, we will have welcomed over 500 new officer trainees and 18 new detector dog teams who join the ranks of our dedicated employees helping keep our border safe.

Partnership and information-sharing are vital to border security because organized crime is an international problem, with networks operating across many countries. CBSA and other law enforcement agencies operate in a global context to successfully curb crime and keep borders safe. Together, we stop dangerous people, firearms, weapons and drugs from entering and hurting our communities, while ensuring the flow of millions of travellers and billions of dollars in international trade.

In New Brunswick (NB), Nova Scotia (NS), Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and Prince Edward Island, CBSA employees are dedicated to keeping Canadians safe.

Protecting Canadians and keeping communities safe

The CBSA serves as Canada's frontline defence by preventing illegal weapons and illicit substances from entering our communities. Highlights from 2024 in Atlantic Canada include:

• 206 weapons and 64 firearms kept off our streets as a result of numerous seizures and enforcement actions completed by CBSA officers and criminal investigators.
• Opioids, narcotics and chemicals seized, including over 1,500 kg of cocaine and 513 kg of cannabis.
• 132 stolen vehicles intercepted at the marine ports of Saint John, NB and Halifax, NS, before they were shipped abroad. This work was completed with the support of local police, port authorities, and insurance fraud and theft associations.
• 30 suspected impaired drivers arrested by CBSA officers at ports of entry in NB, and turned over to police. This demonstrates that the CBSA continues to work closely with local police partners on combatting impaired driving.
• In February 2024, CBSA officers in Woodstock, NB arrested a U.S. resident for smuggling a handgun into Canada. The firearm was seized, and following an investigation by CBSA Criminal Investigations, charges were laid under the Customs Act. This case is currently before the courts with a trial date set for spring 2025.
• In March 2024, CBSA Criminal Investigations in Halifax, NS and St. John's, NL assisted by the Halifax Regional Police (HRP) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Integrated Guns and Gangs Unit, executed a controlled delivery in relation to a firearm that was intercepted via the postal stream. Through the execution of the controlled delivery, a male subject was arrested by HRP and the CBSA. Multiple charges were laid by HRP.
• In April 2024, CBSA officers in St. Stephen, NB arrested a traveller who had an undeclared disassembled firearm on his person. Smuggling charges were laid by CBSA Investigations. The individual later pled guilty and was sentenced to a three-month conditional sentence and a $5,000 fine.
• In June 2024, CBSA officers in St. Stephen, NB, arrested a U.S. resident, dual citizen, for smuggling an assault-style firearm, drug paraphernalia, and trace amounts of meth. Charges were laid by the RCMP and the CBSA. The individual later pled guilty and was sentenced to over two years incarceration.
• In July 2024, CBSA officers seized 63 kg of cannabis while examining outbound luggage at the Halifax airport and arrested two travellers for smuggling. Charges were laid by HRP.
• In July 2024, CBSA officers in St. Stephen, NB, arrested two U.S. residents for failing to declare a 9mm handgun, one shotgun, and three bottles of pepper spray. The items were seized and the travellers were sent back to the U.S.
• In August 2024, a passenger arrived at the St. John's International Airport in NL and was referred for secondary examination. Upon examination, 120 undeclared capsules of Testosterone were discovered and seized. Testosterone is a controlled substance under Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
• In September 2024, CBSA officers in St. Leonard, NB, arrested two U.S. residents for smuggling a loaded firearm, 11 joints of cannabis and over $20,000 CAD. All were seized and the travellers paid a fine of over $2,000. Under the law, every person or entity must report to a Border Services Officer the importation or exportation of currency or monetary instruments with a combined total value equal to or greater than $10,000 Canadian.

Supporting the economy

The CBSA Atlantic Region kept Canada's trade routes open and resilient, ensuring that our economy remains strong and responsive to the needs of Canadians.

• In Atlantic Canada, the CBSA processed:
  • 125,080 commercial trucks
  • 183 cruise ships  
  • Over 143,500 marine shipping containers
• CBSA officers in Atlantic Canada collected over $1.1 billion in duties and taxes.

Welcoming travellers into Canada and building a modern border

The CBSA Atlantic Region processed nearly 3.3 million travellers into Canada, including:

• 475,969 travellers by air
• 2.3 million travellers by land
• 524,567 marine travellers via commercial vessels, small vessels, ferries and cruise ships
• 69 mechanical and medical flight diversions

The CBSA continues to improve its border services. We're upgrading our technologies, modernizing infrastructure and actively working closely with our workforce and partners to meet the changing needs of travel and trade. Some examples include:

• In October, the Canada Border Services Agency Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) became the official system of record to assess and collect duties and taxes for commercial goods imported into Canada. Atlantic Region employees worked diligently to onboard clients and assist in the launch. CARM will help to protect and grow over $40 billion in revenue collected at the border each year by providing Canadian businesses with an online self-service tool and simplified importing processes.
• Atlantic Region employees proudly participated in the opening ceremony and replacement project of the Madawaska-Edmundston International Bridge. This marks the return of commercial truck traffic to the port of entry and included important upgrades to the property to improve traffic flow.
• The CBSA successfully opened a new state-of-the-art office in Moncton, NB.

Collaborating with Indigenous communities

The CBSA Atlantic Region remains committed to reconciliation with Indigenous communities through collaboration. Some examples include:

• In October 2024, the CBSA College's Marine Centre of Expertise, located on the Halifax waterfront, unveiled an Indigenous Reflection Space in partnership with the CBSA's Indigenous Training Program and the Canada Border Services College Directorate. This included the commissioning of a painting done by a local Mi'kmaq artist, Shianne Gould, showcasing their interpretation of the sacred practice of land acknowledgements.
• Throughout the year, CBSA employees in the Atlantic Region took part in multiple career exploration sessions for Indigenous youth. Locations included St. Mary's First Nation, Tobique First Nation and NBCC Moncton, NB. 

Quotes

"Over the past year and beyond, the Canada Border Services Agency has played a pivotal role in combatting criminal activity by interdicting guns and illegal drugs at our borders. I would like to thank all employees, from every corner of the Agency, for their dedication in safeguarding the health and safety of our communities, and in maintaining the integrity of the border we share with our most important ally and trading partner, the United States."

–  The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

"The CBSA Atlantic Region continues to protect our communities by preventing dangerous people and goods from entering Canada. I am proud of the hard work of all employees in Atlantic Canada".

–  Dominic Mallette, Acting Regional Director General, Atlantic Region, Canada Border Services Agency

Associated Links

• 2024 Year in review: CBSA protecting Canadians and supporting our economy
• 2024 Year in review: Accomplishments by the numbers
• Canada Border Services Agency enforcement action statistics

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SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency

Contacts: For more information or to schedule an interview with a CBSA representative, please contact: Media Relations, Canada Border Services Agency, [email protected], 1-877-761-5945