CBSA officers at the Lansdowne (Thousand Island) port of entry arrested two men and seized three firearms in separate incidents on May 3 and May 9.
On May 3, 2017, a 53-year-old commercial driver and resident of Florida sought entry to Canada and was referred for a secondary examination. During the exam, officers discovered an undeclared firearm in a duffle bag in his truck. The driver was arrested and admitted to being in possession of another firearm in another bag in his vehicle. Both weapons were loaded and in holsters, one of them with an additional overcapacity magazine. The driver had a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Florida but failed to declare any weapons at primary inspection.
A total of 13 charges were laid against the traveller, which include three counts of Fail to Report Imported Goods, three counts of Smuggling and one count of Making False Statements under the Customs Act, as well as two counts of Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, two counts of Possession of a Loaded Prohibited Firearm and two counts of Careless Transportation of a Firearm under the Criminal Code. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 2, 2017, in Brockville, Ontario.
On May, 9, 2017, a 26-year-old resident of North Carolina sought entry to Canada to attend a funeral. He was referred for a secondary examination, during which officers discovered a rifle round in the door of his vehicle. Upon further examination, officers also discovered a firearm and a loaded magazine under the back seat.
The traveller was arrested and charged with Fail to Report Imported Goods, Making False Statements, Evading Compliance and Smuggling under the Customs Act, as well as Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Loaded Weapon and Careless Transportation of a Firearm under the Criminal Code. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 30, 2017, in Brockville, Ontario.
Quotes
“Our message is clear, firearms should be left at home when visiting Canada. If you have forearms with you, declare them to avoid seizure action and/or prosecution in a court of law. The Canada Border Services Agency reminds all travellers to truthfully declare all goods when entering Canada.”
Lance Markell, CBSA St. Lawrence District Director
Quick Facts
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- Anyone importing firearms and weapons into Canada must declare them and meet all licensing and registration requirements under the Firearms Act.
- Failure to declare goods, including firearms and weapons, and other Customs Act contraventions may lead 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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