NIAGARA FALLS, ON, Dec. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, we are proud to report on the Canada Border Services Agency's enforcement and operational activities in the Southern Ontario Region (SOR), from January 1 to October 31, 2024.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is Canada's first line of defence at 1,200 ports of entry across the country. Day in and day out, approximately 8,500 frontline employees play a crucial role protecting our communities by preventing illegal goods and inadmissible people from entering Canada and by securing North America as a whole.

Across the country, hundreds of CBSA criminal investigators, inland immigration investigators, hearings officers and intelligence officers work to support and enforce compliance with Canada's border laws and take action against those in violation. Abroad, approximately 60 CBSA employees in 35 countries help manage the border internationally. And, by the end of 2024, we will have welcomed over 500 new officer trainees and 18 new detector dog teams who join the ranks of our dedicated employees helping keep our border safe.

Partnership and information-sharing are vital to border security because organized crime is an international problem, with networks operating across many countries. CBSA and other law enforcement agencies operate in a global context to successfully curb crime and keep borders safe. Together, we stop dangerous people, firearms, weapons and drugs from entering and hurting our communities, while ensuring the flow of millions of travellers and billions of dollars in international trade.

The CBSA's SOR includes Windsor, Sarnia, London, Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, and surrounding communities. The region employs 1,702 people who provide services at 8 land borders, 2 medium and 10 small airports, 1 train station, 2 ferry crossings, and over 100 marine sites. It is home to four of the busiest traveller and commercial land border crossings in Canada.

Protecting Canadians and keeping communities safe 

Between January 1 and October 31, 2024, the CBSA in the Southern Ontario Region helped to protect communities by seizing:

• 392 firearms and 2,819 weapons
• 4,083 kg of narcotics
• 1,742,976 kg of smuggled tobacco
• $1,835,993 in undeclared currency

In addition to these seizures, we:

• intercepted 397 individuals wanted on outstanding warrants
• arrested 135 people for impaired driving-related offences and 1,406 for other criminality
• denied entry to 1,406 individuals for serious criminality
• reunited three missing children with their families

Significant enforcement actions in 2024 include:

• In October, border services officers at the Ambassador Bridge port of entry seized 615 kg of suspected cocaine, discovered in a shipment of grapes. The investigation is ongoing.
• In September, during the examination of a bus at the Queenston Bridge port of entry, officers discovered 30 firearms in an unclaimed suitcase. The investigation is ongoing.
• In July, officers at the Rainbow Bridge port of entry seized US$75,945 as suspected proceeds of crime. The travellers were refused entry into Canada.
• In June, border services officers at the Blue Water Bridge port of entry intercepted 460 kg of suspected cocaine in a commercial shipment. The driver was charged by the RCMP.
• In May, officers at the Peace Bridge port of entry seized two handguns, one shotgun, one fully automatic rifle and seven over-capacity magazines from a traveller. The individual was fined and returned to the U.S.
• In April, CBSA's Intelligence and Enforcement Operations Division in the Southern Ontario Region participated in a joint forces operation investigating contraband tobacco smuggling. This operation resulted in the seizure of more than 85,000 kg of tobacco, representing more than $33 million in tax evasion.
• In February, officers at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel port of entry seized 1 handgun, 1 assault-style rifle, 25 over-capacity magazines, 2 bladed rings, and 2 brass knuckles from a traveller. Customs Act charges were laid against the Michigan resident.
• Earlier this year, the Southern Ontario Region Inland Enforcement and Niagara Intelligence units collaborated with policing partners to dismantle a child luring operation in the Niagara region, leading to criminal charges against thirteen individuals.

Welcoming travellers to Canada

• Border services officers at Southern Ontario ports of entry processed 10.5 million conveyances and 19.4 million people, accounting for 43% of the national total of land border travellers.
• 4,400 asylum claims were processed in the region.

Supporting the economy

• The CBSA in the Southern Ontario Region processed 2.7 million commercial conveyances, accounting for 65% of the national total at land borders.
• In addition, 10.2 million commercial entries were processed throughout Southern Ontario.
• 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 Southern Ontario 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.

Building a modern border

• The development of Canada's largest land border port of entry, the Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, is well underway. The Bridge deck was connected in June and border services officers now utilize a temporary port of entry to facilitate ongoing construction in an international zone. To prepare for the bridge's opening next fall, the CBSA has hired over 200 border services officers, with plans to hire additional staff over the next year.

Quotes

"Over the past year and beyond, the Canada Border Services Agency has played a pivotal role in combatting criminal activity by interdicting guns and illegal drugs at our borders. I would like to thank all employees, from every corner of the Agency, for their dedication in safeguarding the health and safety of our communities, and in maintaining the integrity of the border we share with our most important ally and trading partner, the United States."

–  The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

"The Southern Ontario Region is at the frontline 24/7, protecting Canadians around the clock. We take pride in the professionalism demonstrated by our team, and the 2024 year in review highlights the tremendous work being done in the region to serve Canadians. I would like to recognize all the efforts that our Southern Ontario team continually demonstrates to keep our border secure and our communities safe."

–  Michael Prosia, A/Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency

Associated links

• 2024 Year in review: CBSA protecting Canadians and supporting our economy
• 2024 Year in review: Accomplishments by the numbers
• Canada Border Services Agency enforcement action statistics

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SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency