Cabinet does not know how many firearms are smuggled into Canada, according to a federal briefing note. The Department of Public Safety said it was at a loss to estimate the scope of gun running, despite budgeting $312 million over five years to combat smuggling..“Cross-border smuggling of firearms poses a threat to the safety and security of Canada,” said the briefing note Efforts To Address Firearms Smuggling And Trafficking. "The total number of firearms successfully smuggled into Canada is unknown.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, the department gave no rationale for the $312 million anti-smuggling budget. “We are providing the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP with the tools and resources they need to combat smuggling and trafficking such as X-ray machines,” it said..The Border Services Agency has seized fewer than 5,000 firearms in six years. Cabinet in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Commons November 18 said guns confiscated by Customs offices numbered 4,770 since Jan. 1, 2017, “mostly from non-compliant travelers attempting to retain their personal firearms while traveling.”.Customs agents average a 90-second interview with cross-border motorists with fewer than 5% pulled aside for additional questioning, according to data submitted in a 2013 Federal Court case. Neither the Border Services Agency nor public safety department have disclosed data on the extent of spot inspections of shipping containers or other commercial cargo..More than 14 million commercial shipments cross the border annually, by official estimate. Few railway freight cars are ever inspected, according to February 1 testimony by the Customs and Immigration Union at the House of Commons public safety committee..“There is almost a zero percent chance that any illegal weapons entering the country via rail will ever be found,” testified Mark Weber, national union president. “The latitude given to rail carriers we find is far and above anything that is given to any other kind of industry.”.“The Canada Border Services Agency has not forced rail carriers to provide rail inspection facilities at the first point of arrival, this despite their legal ability to do so,” said Weber. The union president calculated rail shipments have a one in a million chance of being inspected..“The reality is our current operational abilities in the rail field are virtually non-existent,” he said. “Canada has almost zero examination capabilities directly at the border.”.“We don’t really have rail examination capabilities at the first port of arrival in Canada,” said Weber. “Trains that for instance used to be looked at in Fort Frances, Ont. coming into Canada now are being looked at 400 kilometres away in Winnipeg.”
Cabinet does not know how many firearms are smuggled into Canada, according to a federal briefing note. The Department of Public Safety said it was at a loss to estimate the scope of gun running, despite budgeting $312 million over five years to combat smuggling..“Cross-border smuggling of firearms poses a threat to the safety and security of Canada,” said the briefing note Efforts To Address Firearms Smuggling And Trafficking. "The total number of firearms successfully smuggled into Canada is unknown.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, the department gave no rationale for the $312 million anti-smuggling budget. “We are providing the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP with the tools and resources they need to combat smuggling and trafficking such as X-ray machines,” it said..The Border Services Agency has seized fewer than 5,000 firearms in six years. Cabinet in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Commons November 18 said guns confiscated by Customs offices numbered 4,770 since Jan. 1, 2017, “mostly from non-compliant travelers attempting to retain their personal firearms while traveling.”.Customs agents average a 90-second interview with cross-border motorists with fewer than 5% pulled aside for additional questioning, according to data submitted in a 2013 Federal Court case. Neither the Border Services Agency nor public safety department have disclosed data on the extent of spot inspections of shipping containers or other commercial cargo..More than 14 million commercial shipments cross the border annually, by official estimate. Few railway freight cars are ever inspected, according to February 1 testimony by the Customs and Immigration Union at the House of Commons public safety committee..“There is almost a zero percent chance that any illegal weapons entering the country via rail will ever be found,” testified Mark Weber, national union president. “The latitude given to rail carriers we find is far and above anything that is given to any other kind of industry.”.“The Canada Border Services Agency has not forced rail carriers to provide rail inspection facilities at the first point of arrival, this despite their legal ability to do so,” said Weber. The union president calculated rail shipments have a one in a million chance of being inspected..“The reality is our current operational abilities in the rail field are virtually non-existent,” he said. “Canada has almost zero examination capabilities directly at the border.”.“We don’t really have rail examination capabilities at the first port of arrival in Canada,” said Weber. “Trains that for instance used to be looked at in Fort Frances, Ont. coming into Canada now are being looked at 400 kilometres away in Winnipeg.”
