October proved to be a busy month for Canada Border Service Agency officers at both the Estevan Highway and North Portal crossings.
CBSA officers conducted 1,025 immigration interviews; of those, 29 individuals were granted permanent resident status; 57 work permits and six study permits were issued; and 88 people were refused entry.
On October 1, a U.S. resident was seeking entry to look for work in Alberta. During a search of the vehicle, officers found information indicating the subject may be tied to drug trafficking and would be staying longer than stated. The man admitted to previous criminal convictions including: assault, kidnapping, drug trafficking, probation violation. Further background checks revealed the man had several more outstanding charges and convictions. He was refused entry into Canada.
On October 15, a husband and wife were delivering commercial goods from Florida. During their examination they were both found to be criminally inadmissible to Canada. She had convictions for sexual offences against a child, probation violation, and assault; while he had several convictions including theft.
A U.S. citizen was delivering commercial goods to Saskatoon. During questioning on Oct. 24, he admitted to a previous assault causing bodily harm charge in 2002 for assaulting a friend and his son with a belt. He also claimed to suffer from post-traumatic stress and amnesia. Officers conducted further background checks and learned the man had numerous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, arson, aggravated assault, and resisting an officer. He was refused entry into Canada.
On October 28, a U.S. resident sought entry with her Canadian boyfriend. She stated that she was moving to Canada to marry him and live together. Background checks revealed the woman was legally married to a U.S. citizen and was not in possession of an immigrant visa so she was refused entry.
CBSA officers also seized several prohibited goods in October and saw several returning residents undervalue goods.
On October 6, officers conducted an examination on a New York resident who was moving to Alaska. Officers found several prohibited weapons in a briefcase, including: switch blades, throwing stars, throwing cards, and nun chucks. All items were seized as they are prohibited in Canada.
On October 8 at Estevan Highway, a U.S. resident was travelling to the Weyburn area to go water fowl hunting. A secondary exam of the vehicle revealed the subject failed to declare 800 rounds of shotgun ammunition valued at $548. The goods were seized and the traveller was issued a $219 penalty.
October 10, a commercial driver from Alberta was referred for examination where officers found $650 in undeclared goods: six-1.75 litres of alcohol, 24 cans of beer, two cartons of cigarettes, two automotive batteries and various articles of clothing. The goods were seized and the driver was issued a penalty of $492.26.
A couple from Canada failed to declare a vehicle they purchased in the United States Oct 16. They declared the vehicle was from Canada and they had driven it from Calgary to Minneapolis for a shopping trip and had been absent from Canada for one night. Upon further investigation and questioning, officers determined the pair had actually flown from Calgary to Minneapolis and purchased the car there for $36,307. The vehicle had an Alberta licence plate that was registered to a different vehicle. Officers seized the vehicle due to non-report and issued a penalty of $19,969.36 against the couple. The investigation continues.
At the Estevan Highway crossing Oct. 18, two Canadian residents were returning after a 48-hour absence and declared $1,506 in merchandise. During a secondary exam, officers located an additional $600 in merchandise that had not been reported to CBSA. The items were seized and one of the travellers was issued a $451 penalty.
On October 25, officers examined a commercial truck and noted that it contained two shipments but only one was reported. Officers issued a $2,000 penalty against the carrier for non-report of $20,848 of paper goods (plates, cups).
As the Canadian dollar remains strong and the holiday season approaches, 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 $50 duty- and tax-free; after 48 hours, your personal exemption is $400; and after an absence of seven days, you are entitled to $750 duty and tax-free. There are no personal exemptions for same-day purchases.
If you have any questions call the toll-free Border Information Line at 1-800-461-9999.
