PIGEON RIVER – The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) facilitates the entry of legitimate travellers and goods, while protecting the safety and security of Canadians and ensuring that Canada’s borders are not used for illegal activity. This work is carried out by CBSA border services officers (BSO) who ensure that the people, goods and conveyances entering Canada meet all requirements and are compliant with Canadian law.
In October 2011, CBSA officers at the Pigeon River port of entry (POE) processed 46,805 travellers in 22,259 vehicles, as well as 732 commercial drivers.
IMMIGRATION: In October, CBSA officers at the Pigeon River POE conducted 272 immigration examinations. As a result, 15 individuals were issued immigration documents and 13 others were refused entry for criminality or other inadmissibility issues.
On October 23, a lone U.S. resident arrived at the Pigeon River POE seeking an overnight stay in Thunder Bay. He was referred to Immigration for further examination, where it was determined that the traveller had been convicted of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone in the United States. He was refused entry into Canada based on his criminal inadmissibility.
On October 30, a resident of Minneapolis arrived at the POE and was referred to Immigration for further questioning. The officer determined that the subject had been convicted in the United States of possession of over 100 pounds of khat, a narcotic drug cultivated primarily in Eastern Africa. The subject had also been previously refused entry to Canada. He was counselled regarding his inadmissibility and subsequently directed back to the United States.
CUSTOMS: During the month of October, CBSA officers conducted 1,092 secondary examinations for customs purposes, initiated seven seizure actions for various offences and issued an additional 18 written warnings for undeclared or undervalued goods.
On October 3, a U.S. couple was referred for further examination after the primary officer became suspicious of the truthfulness of their declarations. The travellers declared that they had no firearms, weapons or prohibited goods in their possession. During the subsequent search, officers discovered that the travellers were in possession of pepper spray, a prohibited weapon in Canada. The travellers were arrested and both the pepper spray and vehicle were seized. The vehicle was returned to the couple upon payment of a $500 penalty.
On October 30, a Canadian resident was referred for payment of taxes and duties after a same-day absence from the country. The individual declared the purchase of a vintage car for US$5,000. During the examination, officers determined that the actual purchase price of the vehicle was US$9,900 and that the importer had presented a falsified invoice. The vehicle was seized for undervaluation and returned to the importer upon payment of a $2,683.41 penalty. Had the full value been properly declared, the taxes payable would have been $243.
Travel Tips: The CBSA reminds all travellers to truthfully declare all purchases when returning to Canada and to be mindful of the following: after an absence of 24 hours, you may bring back $50 worth of goods duty- and tax-free; after 48 hours, your personal exemption is $400; and after an absence of seven days, you are entitled to $750 worth of duty-and tax-free goods. There are no personal exemptions for same-day purchases.
Please refer to the I Declare brochure on the CBSA Web site for more information.