When it comes to importing goods into Canada, it’s a citizen’s responsibility to know what can and can’t be brought across the border.
That’s according to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which announced on Thursday the conviction of an Alberta resident for smuggling three prohibited firearms parts.
CBSA said Joby Stuart Bishop of Carbon, Alta., pled guilty earlier this month to one count of smuggling under the Customs Act after trying to enter Canada through B.C. with three over-capacity gun magazines.
Bishop was trying to enter through Osoyoos on Dec. 28, 2022, said CBSA, and he was referred for a secondary examination.
“During their inspection, Border Services officers discovered three prohibited over-capacity magazines,” said CBSA.
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“Mr. Bishop was arrested and the CBSA’s Pacific Region Criminal Investigations Section began an investigation.”
Court documents show that Bishop pled guilty in Penticton, with one count of unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon or a restricted weapon being stayed.
CBSA says Bishop was fined $7,500 and was also issued a two-year firearms prohibition.
The CBSA did not release what type of over-capacity gun magazines they seized.
“CBSA officers at the Osoyoos border crossing and our criminal investigators work hard to keep our communities safe,” said CBSA Okanagan and Kootenay district director Derek Watson. “Over-capacity gun magazines are now off the streets, and the accused has been held accountable.”
The CBSA noted that firearms that aren’t properly declared may be seized, along with the vehicle used to carry them.
“The Agency may also launch criminal proceedings against travellers who violate border laws,” said the CBSA. “A court conviction can result in fines, jail time, and impact a foreign national’s ability to return to Canada in the future.”
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