As the traffic continues to increase at two of Saskatchewan's busiest land-based ports of entry, so to are the number and variety of incidents that require additional attention from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers and agents.
Several events at the Ports of North Portal and Estevan Highway were recorded by the CBSA in September starting with a Sept. 2 visit by a North Dakota resident seeking entry to go to Estevan. The background check revealed the man had six convictions for impaired driving along with a domestic assault and drug possession convictions. He was refused entry.
On Sept. 7, CBSA officers examining a vehicle's contents discovered a man hiding in the box of the pickup truck. He was concealed under blankets, boxes and bags. The man was carrying no identification and claimed to be a Canadian citizen, but gave the CBSA officials a false name. He was arrested and with further checks and questioning, the man's true identity was established. Both he and the driver are now facing criminal charges. They were released after appearing in court for a preliminary hearing and will be returning to court in the future.
On Sept. 9, a commercial truck driver from Texas who was attempting to make a delivery to northern Alberta was given a check by CBSA officers who discovered he had been convicted of assault and false confinement, so he was refused entry into Canada.
CBSA seized 3.4 grams of marijuana that had been stored in a commercial truck that was attempting to enter Canada on Sept. 13. The driver was originally arrested and subsequently released and permitted to enter Canada.
A North Dakota resident was denied entry into Canada on Sept. 16 after it was revealed he had been convicted of burglary, theft, dealing in stolen property and smuggling contraband into a correctional facility. He was returned to the United States.
On Sept. 20, a resident from North Dakota heading into Estevan for the day was given a background check where it was revealed he had seven fraud-related convictions so he was denied entry.
A Saskatchewan resident returning home on Sept. 24 reported that he had purchased a vehicle in Kentucky for $18,250. During a secondary examination, CBSA officers located a bill of sale for vehicle in question at a value of $25,000. When confronted by the officers, the man stated he had a false bill of sale in an effort to save taxes. The vehicle was seized and only returned to the importer after he paid a penalty of just over $1,663. If he had declared the vehicle correctly, the additional tax would have amounted to just $332.61.
There were several incidents to report from the Estevan Highway Port during the month as well.
On Sept. 3, two brothers from North Dakota attempted to drive to Estevan for the day, but a background check showed the driver had been convicted of forgery, theft, burglary and possession of stolen property so he was refused entry. As a result of this situation, both men returned to the United States.
On Sept. 28, a family from South Carolina seeking entry into Canada for one month appeared at the Estevan Highway Port. During a routine examination the wife began to feel dizzy and faint and stated that her arms were tingling so CBSA officers immediately called for an ambulance which took the woman to a North Dakota hospital.
The border officials report that later that same day, the same family showed up at the North Portal entry point, again seeking entry into Canada. Officers noted the parents were unemployed and hoping to find work in Canada and had taken their son out of school and were planning on enrolling him in school in Canada. The family had no proof of ties to the United States and had all their belongings with them in the vehicle.
Since the family was designated as non-genuine visitors, they were refused entry and returned to the United States.
On Sept. 30, a former resident of Canada who was moving back to Alberta reported to the Estevan Highway Port. He was transporting three horses in a trailer and declared he was a horse trainer and explained that the owner allowed the horses to travel to Canada with him to complete their training and that he would be returning the horses to the U.S. after the training was finished.
CBSA officers were suspicious of the statement and further examination revealed the horses were actually going to be sold in Canada, so they were seized.
The horses were valued at a total of $137,718 and the traveller/trainer was assessed a penalty of $34,429.51 which had to be paid before the animals were returned to him and correctly declared. If the so-called trainer had issued a true declaration at the start, he would have been required to pay a tax of $6,885.90.
This particular incident continues to be under investigation with possible criminal prosecution charges.
CBSA is committed to keeping Canadian communities safe. Anyone with information regarding suspicious cross-border activity is urged to contact the Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.
