Prosecutions and Seizures

Southern Ontario Region

CBSA enforcement highlights for the Southern Ontario Region

Fort Erie, Ontario, December 1, 2011 – 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 border is not used for illegal activity.

From April 1 to September 30, 2011, border services officers in the newly formed Southern Ontario Region (SOR) processed over 16.7 million travellers and referred more than 1.2 million for further examination. During this six-month period, officers processed 6,673,050 cars; 1,543,159 trucks; 35,380 buses; 3,769 aircraft; and 35,584 vessels. In addition, 4,071 trains entered Canada at ports of entry in the region, and officers conducted more than 385,000 conveyance examinations. 

The SOR processes nearly half of the total volume of people entering Canada in the highway mode. The majority of SOR services are provided at the Ambassador Bridge, Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, Blue Water Bridge, Peace Bridge, Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and Rainbow Bridge.

“Our dedicated and skilled workforce is committed to our vision of an integrated border agency that is recognized for service excellence in ensuring Canada's security and prosperity,” said Rick Comerford, Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region. “It is important that we capitalize on opportunities to inform and educate Canadians about what we do and what we accomplish on their behalf every day.”

Over this period, there were a total of 8,116 enforcement actions. The following highlights demonstrate the excellent work being done by CBSA officers in the region to keep our communities safe: 

Seizures

• 75 firearms seizures, including 62 prohibited handguns.
• 101 prohibited weapons seizures, including 34 switchblades and 47 canisters of pepper spray.
• 492 drug seizures valued at $8,079,483, including over $6.7 million of cocaine and over  $1.1 million of MDMA (ecstasy).
• 499 alcoholic beverage seizures (4,607 litres) valued at $109,424.
• 199 tobacco seizures valued at $123,395, including 1,306 cartons of cigarettes.
• 38 currency seizures valued at $716,888.
• 980 conveyance seizures, including aircrafts, boats and campers.

Criminal Code incidents

• 89 drinking and driving incidents and/or drug impairments.
• 65 interceptions of persons wanted on outstanding warrants.
• 9 intercepts of persons in possession of stolen property.

Immigration enforcement

• 4,512 people allowed to leave Canada based on criminality.
• 9,483 people allowed to leave Canada based on non-criminality.
• 406 removal orders enforced at the ports of entry, including 89 for criminality.
• 150 people removed by Inland Enforcement, including 49 with criminality.
• 1 missing child recovered.

All goods, conveyances and people entering Canada must report to the CBSA. Declare all of your purchases, regardless of whether exemptions apply, as there are serious consequences for undervaluing or not declaring. Smuggling, undervaluation and other Customs Act contraventions may lead seizure action and to prosecution in a court of law.

Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is encouraged to call the CBSA Border Watch Toll-free Line at 1-888-502-9060.

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For media information

Diana Scott
Communications Officer
Canada Border Service Agency - Southern Ontario Region
Telephone: 905-354-2293 or 519-967-4330
Mobile: 289-241-2875
CBSANewsSOR@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca