An undeclared firearm and deceitful reporting to border service officers led to two seizures at the Prince Rupert port of entry last month.
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) released the details of the seizures yesterday. The first occurred on June 4, when a female was attempting to enter Canada at the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal. In a secondary examination border service officers found the frame of a .380 pistol under the vehicle's engine air filter, the CBSA release stated.
The pistol is the size of a pen, as demonstrated in the photo, and the female was arrested immediately while the examination continued. The barrel and slide assembly of the weapon were discovered among packed goods in other areas of the vehicle.
Border services officers seized the prohibited firearm and the released the woman, allowing her to enter Canada, after she paid the $1,000 conveyance penalty for not declaring the weapon.
The second seizure involved a 27-foot vessel imported from Alaska. On June 14, the vessel arrived at the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal. Border services officers found in their examinations and research that the vessel was undervalued by approximately US$24,000.
CBSA seized the vessel and released it once the importer paid more than $30,000 for the penalties on the undervalued portion of the vessel and for the duties owed on the declared value.
“Our border services officers proudly serve to protect the safety and security of Canadians by supporting legitimate trade and travel. These two seizures are an important reminder for travellers entering Canada to declare all their goods and report truthfully to border services officers," said Glenn Bonnett, the chief of operations at the Prince Rupert port of entry.
There have been four firearm seizures in Prince Rupert port of entry in the past five years, and a total of firearms seized.