Busy year for Canadian Border Service

It was a busy year at the border for Canadian Border Service Agents.

“As a professional law enforcement agency, the CBSA in Alberta is unwavering in its commitment to serve and protect Canadians,” stated Guy Rook, director, Southern Alberta and Southern Saskatchewan District CBSA in a recent news release.

“We take great pride in knowing that by securing the border, we are making our communities safer.”

On Dec. 2, CBSA officers at Coutts intercepted a commercial vehicle carrying 84 bricks of suspected cocaine. This was the largest suspected cocaine seizure recorded by the CBSA in Alberta. Had the 99.5 kilograms seized been street-ready, it would have been enough for more than 100,000 “hits.”

CBSA officers in southern Alberta seized more than 50 undeclared firearms, including more than 30 handguns, this year.

Officers at Chief Mountain found four handguns in a pickup truck on July 3. Also of note, a seven-gun seizure made at Coutts on April 7 resulted in a $15,000 court fine on Sept. 22.

Officers made more than 120 arrests for various reasons, including impaired driving, smuggling prohibited goods, and outstanding warrants. When the subject of a warrant seeks entry to Canada, the CBSA will enforce the warrant as directed by the issuing agency.

The officers also worked to represent Canada when dealing with visitors.

An officer at Coutts helped two visitors to Canada track down a lost wallet.

Officers at Carway found that a traveller’s licence plate had been stolen and swapped with one from a missing vehicle.

They contacted police and helped arrange for a replacement plate.

An officer at Carway assisted two clients struggling to hitch a trailer.

CBSA officers in southern Alberta are on track to process more than one million travellers this year.

The Chief Mountain border crossing temporarily closed between Sept. 12 and Sept. 20 due to the advancement of the Kenow fire in Waterton Lakes National Park.

Detector dog Ember, a Labrador retriever, started his CBSA career on Nov. 24. Ember is trained to detect narcotics and firearms, and his keen sense of smell is already being put to use across southern Alberta.

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