2024 Year in Review for the Greater Toronto Area: CBSA seizes 10,000 kg of drugs and 5,600 weapons and firearms

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Dec. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, we are proud to report on the Canada Border Services Agency's enforcement and operational activities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), 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.

The GTA Region supports over 340 service points in Ontario. The Region contains the Agency's largest air, cargo, mail processing, and trade operations in the country. Its primary point of entry is Toronto Pearson International Airport (TPIA), which is Canada's busiest airport in size and volume – serving as a key portal for both travellers and goods entering the country.

Protecting Canadians and keeping communities safe

The GTA Region remains steadfast in its role in facilitating travel and trade, while continuing to prevent illicit drugs, firearms, and illegal contraband from entering or leaving Canada. The Region has also introduced new, non-intrusive inspection technology to help border services officers detect and seize illegal contraband.

This summer, the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs announced the deployment of a scanner to the GTA that allows border services officers to scan marine containers for possible stolen vehicles before they leave the country. The CBSA uses this technology along with referrals from our intelligence areas and police partners to enhance our operations and effectiveness in intercepting stolen vehicles. So far this year, the GTA Region has intercepted over 650 stolen vehicles before leaving the country. 

Border services officers in the GTA Region seized approximately 4,700 prohibited weapons, 900 replica firearms, and 111 firearm parts. The CBSA's Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET) focused on investigating the smuggling of firearms throughout the province, resulting in a significant seizure in September 2024. Through an extensive investigation, OFSET executed search warrants at two homes in Oshawa and seized various drugs, firearm paraphernalia, and equipment that formed a clandestine narcotics lab. An individual was arrested and charged with 18 smuggling, possession, and importation offences.

Air Cargo Operations plays a crucial role in managing the processing of all inbound and outbound commercial and courier shipments to intercept any prohibited goods attempting to enter or exit Canada. In the most recent tally, 405 proactive examinations were carried out on outbound cargo. Additionally, the export unit generated 96 Regional referrals from proactive examinations and/or the assessment of export declaration risks.

The GTA Region executed 3,176 narcotic seizures, keeping approximately over 10,000 kg of drugs out of our communities and protecting Canadians from illegal controlled substances such as methamphetamines and fentanyl. In June, a border services officer at TPIA made a significant contribution to intercepting illegal narcotics by identifying anomalies in an x-ray of a traveller's luggage, leading to the discovery of 20 bricks, totaling over 26 kilograms, of suspected cocaine.

The opioid epidemic in Canada is escalating, with those dependent on prescription opioids sometimes resorting to illegal means for drugs. Pill presses, essential in pharmaceutical manufacturing, can produce from 1,800 to over 1,000,000 pills per hour. This year, officers in the GTA have seized six pill presses imported from China.

A total of 1,827 cannabis seizures were recorded, resulting in the confiscation of approximately 6,400 kilograms of cannabis. Additionally, border services officers in the Region have seized over $3.5 million in undeclared currency, some of which was suspected as proceeds of crime.   

Welcoming travellers into Canada

Over 13.7 million travellers have been processed so far this year, exceeding last year's 12.8 million. Border services officers in the GTA welcomed travellers at various airports including: Toronto Pearson International Airport (TPIA), Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, and the region of Waterloo International Airport. In 2024, TPIA processed 40% of the total number of travellers that were seen by Canada's top 4 busiest airports.

The work we do on behalf of Canadians often involves difficult and sensitive situations. As a result, the GTA Region formed a Vulnerable Persons Team at TPIA, which provides compassionate support to trafficked, exploited, and/or vulnerable individuals arriving in Canada.

Supporting the economy

The GTA Region Trade Program continues to contribute to the economic stability of the country.

• The CBSA in the GTA processed 4.7 million commercial shipments arriving via air, marine, rail, and highway.
• GTA successfully handled over 74 million Courier Low Value Shipments (shipments valued at CAN $3,300 or less).

The CBSA employs the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) to enforce compliance among commercial clients regarding trade and border regulations. The primary goal of AMPS is to deter non-compliance and ensure fair competition among all Canadian businesses. Since January 1st, the GTA unit has issued 125 AMPS penalties, accumulating to a monetary value of $103,650.00.

One notable case involved the valuation verification of a manufacturer of commercial trucks, buses, and engines. It was determined that the costs related to the imported goods were calculated incorrectly. As a result, close to $12 million in duties, taxes, and penalties were assessed against the importer. This was the highest valuation verification completed by the team so far this year.

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. The GTA Region worked diligently to onboard clients and assist in its 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.

Collaborating with partners  

Collaboration with both Canadian and international partners plays a crucial role in enhancing public safety efforts. Our partnerships with law enforcement agencies allow for the seamless sharing of vital information, referrals, best practices, and effective techniques.

This September, members from the GTA Region's airside enforcement team were invited by Australian Border Force to attend the International Border Agency Conference along with other Border Five partner countries. Together, we tackled pressing issues such as criminal infiltration in global supply chains and shared insights on the latest intelligence collection methods, cutting-edge technologies, and evolving concealment tactics.

Collaborating with Indigenous communities

The GTA Region is dedicated to supporting repatriation efforts with local communities. In March 2024, the GTA Regional Indigenous Affairs Advisor collaborated with border services officers at Pearson airport to host students from three Indigenous secondary schools in Toronto. The students toured CBSA processing areas and, for many, it was their first interaction with CBSA officers. They also participated in a demo showing security features on Indigenous Status Cards and learned from detector dog handlers about why dogs may indicate on Sacred items like medicines, hides, and feathers.

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

"I am extremely proud of our CBSA employees in the GTA Region. As Canada's first line of defence, the work we do everyday on behalf of Canadians is paramount to protecting our communities."
–  Lisa Janes, Regional Director General, Greater Toronto Area 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