CANADA Border Services Agency officers from Metro Vancouver District last month seized 196 kg of opium concealed within inbound shipping containers.

On August 15, border services officers and a Detector Dog Service team at the Burnaby Container Examination Facility discovered 150 kg of opium concealed within the interior structure of a piece of steel machinery.

The shipment was identified for examination by the National Targeting Centre, a 24/7 CBSA unit that is responsible for targeting analytics and pre-arrival risk assessments for all passengers and commercial goods entering Canada.

On August 28, border services officers and a Detector Dog Service team at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility seized another 46 kg of opium that was found inside a piece of furniture.

Both seizures have been referred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia for investigation.

“Our Agency is proud to have prevented nearly 200 kg of opium from entering Canada. These seizures demonstrate the diligence and detection capabilities of our border services officers and the important role of our intelligence operations in keeping these harmful drugs out of our communities,” said Nina Patel, Regional Director General, CBSA, Pacific Region.