The agency tasked with keeping Canada’s border safe is celebrating success as it looks back on its achievements at the Calgary International Airport in 2017.
“Calgary operations have had an outstanding year,” Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) central Alberta district director Greg Valentine said. “Canadians should be very proud of the work their fellow citizens do every day to keep our communities safe.”
Among the highlights for the agency in 2017 were three major drug-related seizures.
In April, CBSA officers confiscated three large drums entering the country from Hong Kong. They contained a substance called phenacetin, which is used to cut cocaine.
In September, more than three kilograms of opium was seized after being found in a traveller’s belongings. The opium was concealed inside tennis balls.
In October, over 17 litres of a chemical used to make the date rape drug was intercepted by the CBSA’s air cargo operation. Had it not been seized, the agency believes it could have been used to make roughly 29,000 doses of the drug.
READ MORE: 21 kg of suspected cocaine seized at Alberta border crossing
But not all seizures are a result of people with nefarious intentions.
“The awareness simply isn’t there in all cases,” CBSA spokesperson Lisa White said. “A lot of things that we seize are cultural delicacies, for example. Things that might be allowed and are common and readily accessible in one country are fine, but it cannot be imported without certain permits.”
“Our role there is to educate people.”
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Another major milestone for the agency was marking its first anniversary in the new international terminal at the Calgary Airport. White said moving to the new space has allowed CBSA to overhaul how it operates, with the mission to create a better traveller experience.
“It’s been a complete overhaul of our processes and it’s fabulous.”
White said the agency is on track to process more than 2.5 million travellers by the end of 2017.
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