After seeing a 116 per cent jump in firearms seizures at B.C. border crossings in the first six months of 2016, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has launched an awareness campaign for U.S. travellers.
According to the CBSA, most undeclared firearms seized by officers at land border ports of entry into B.C. are personal firearms belonging to travellers from the U.S.
One reason for the increase in seizures is the detector dog, Fenix, whose nose is able to sniff our gunpowder residue, border officers said.
As current Canadian law stands around bringing firearms into the country, gun enthusiasts must declare all their weapons at the first port of Canadian entry, have the necessary permits and have the firearm appropriately stored.
“Our firearm laws haven’t changed and our processes and our enforcement mandate have stayed the same and yet, we’ve seen an increase in firearms,” said CBSA Operations’ Chief Bernie Pitura at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
“This awareness campaign is to try and encourage travellers to declare their firearms. In many cases they may not understand the rules and regulations — that’s fine, we’re here to help them. We’re here to provide advice and guidance but the key message is — declare the firearm when you arrive at the port of entry and we will work with that.”
The reminder comes less than 10 days after two men from Texas tried to bring hidden guns across the border on separate Canadian vacations.
The retirees from the Dallas area came separately across the border with their wives in St. Stephen, N.B.
There is no indication they knew each other.
The men, both in their 50s, had each denied having any firearms. But follow-up inspections of their vehicles revealed a Bersa Thunder .380 handgun, a Smith and Wesson .38 Special, a 12-gauge shotgun, a Rossi .357 Magnum (in the first vehicle) and a .40 Glock handgun (in the second vehicle), along with some pepper spray and some loose ammunition.
The men were fined $1,700 and $1,000, respectively, and their guns were destroyed. Both were then kicked out of Canada.
The number of guns seized at the Canada-U.S. border has increased steadily over the last four years, statistics provided by CBSA show. The count of total firearms seized and the number of total seizures (which can involve multiple firearms) all rose between 2011 and 2016.
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~ with files from Monique Muise, Patrick Cain and Canadian Press
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