THE Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in a report on its enforcement and operational activities in the Pacific Region — British Columbia and the Yukon — from January 1 to October 31, said on Monday that it had seized 9,451 weapons and prohibited items and made 7,960 illegal narcotic seizures.

The Pacific Region has more than 1,000 uniformed employees working at 43 land, air, rail and marine ports of entry. The region includes an international mail centre, Canada’s third busiest airport and the country’s largest marine port, container examination facility and cruise ship terminal.

This year, border services officers in the Pacific region were responsible for:

• 7,960 illegal narcotic seizures. This includes 988 kg and 1,278 litres of methamphetamines, 279 kg of cocaine, 49 kg of opioids and 3,378 kg of illegal cannabis;
• 9,451 weapons and prohibited items seized. This includes 209 firearms, 666 miscellaneous parts for firearms or magazines, 7,747 prohibited weapons, and 829 prohibited devices;
• $1,262,015 in currency seizures suspected to be proceeds of crime, compared to $721,426 seized last year.
• 280 arrests of impaired drivers. These arrests make up 50% of all impaired driving arrests across Canada’s land borders.
• 119 stolen vehicles intercepted. This represents approximately $13 million worth of vehicles.

The CBSA in the Pacific Region says that from Canada’s third largest airport and large cruise ship and rail passenger operations to smaller northern ports, it is committed to maintaining secure, resilient borders that safeguard communities.

The Pacific Region facilitated the arrival of more than 19.2 million travellers at ports of entry in British Columbia and the Yukon. Officers welcomed nearly 1.6 million more travellers than last year, including returning Canadians and international visitors.

The CBSA in the Pacific Region conducted 65,720 NEXUS interviews to support low-risk, frequent travellers.

The CBSA says its work helps keep Canada’s trade routes open and resilient, ensuring that the economy remains strong and responsive to the needs of Canadians. Border services officers in the Pacific Region processed approximately 548,174 commercial trucks, and 27 million courier shipments. The Pacific Region processes 70% of all containers entering Canada with the majority handled by Metro Vancouver District.

The collection of duties and taxes helps protect sectors of Canada’s economy. When commercial importers violate trade and border legislation, the CBSA issues penalties as a means to deter non-compliance. This helps insure import requirements are being met, and creates a level playing field for all Canadian businesses.

The region closed 92 verification cases assessing a total of $13,556,852 in duties, taxes, interest and penalties. The region also completed 21 compliance interventions, resulting in further assessments of $321,356 in duties and taxes.

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 Pacific 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.

Nina Patel, Regional Director General, Pacific Region, CBSA, said: “I am immensely proud of the dedication of our frontline officers and those behind-the-scenes who work hard every day to keep our citizens safe while supporting our economy. The Pacific Region is committed to maintaining the integrity of our borders and protecting Canadians, keeping harmful drugs, illegal firearms and dangerous weapons from reaching our communities. ”