Mail suspected of containing drugs, child porn goes unchecked: Customs workers

[GAP]

Mail suspected of containing drugs, child porn goes unchecked: Customs workers
By TOM GODFREY, QMI Agency
Article Link

TORONTO - Some international mail and parcels suspected of containing drugs, child porn or even parts for weapons are being allowed into Canada without checks by border officers due to a lack of staff, customs workers say.

Skids of mail arriving in Mississauga, Ont., are not being examined despite protests by some members of the Customs and Immigration Union of a possible breach of security, officers said in a complaint.

The Canada Border Services Agency is responsible for checking international mail arriving in Canada for contraband.

Front-line CBSA officers said eight skids of "enforcement-targeted mail" were ordered released last week by a superintendent due to a lack of resources.

But CBSA spokesman Antonella Di Girolamo said the allegations "are not consistent" with their information.

"The CBSA is responsible for ensuring that all items entering Canada are admissible and meet all of the necessary legislative and regulatory requirements," Girolamo said by e-mail.

Border officers use a risk management approach in the examination of goods, people and conveyances, she said.

"This risk management approach is required at our postal operations as well, due to the large volume of international parcels," Di Girolamo said.
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[Edward Campbell]

<yawn>

This sort of risk management is common, indeed essential to the flow of goods around the world.

We, anyone, cannot and would not want to inspect too much mail or too many sea containers or too much air freight. Excessive checking takes money out of your pocket and mine and puts it into the pockets of unionized public sector customs workers.

I am 100% certain that "bad stuff" gets past our checking system, and by "our" I means Canada's and America's and China's and, and, and ... but the solution is not more agents doing more checking, it would help if the people there did their jobs better. Quality not quantity will help.

 

[MedCorps]

I think that both Sgt Oliver and Sgt Harris (as well as some others who are in the pipeline) would assure the population that CBSA is doing a good job checking the mail for weapons coming from other countries. Drugs and kiddie porn, not sure... weapons it seems to. 

See:

http://www.jmc-cmj.forces.gc.ca/dec/2011/olive-rr-eng.asp
http://www.jmc-cmj.forces.gc.ca/dec/2011/harris-mc-eng.asp

Maybe Mr. Campbell has it right on the mark when it comes to risk management.

MC

 

[dapaterson]

Funny how, as the federal government is planning austerity measures, the union just happens to release this tidbit.

Pure coincidence, I'm certain.

 

[bcbarman]

Lets put this in context, do you check every bullet you fire??  how about check every part of a troops kit, uniform and body?  No. we do risk management and look at the whole picture.

Does this person receiving the letter have a history of drug/child porn/weapons offences?

Is there strange packaging, setup or routing?

Did it hit on the dog or x-ray? all these things add up to a check, sometimes, stuff gets in. Training, systems and procedures are all weighed for the risk to Canada.  If this system was not in place, you would never get granny's fruitcake from the UK. The sheer amount of stuff that comes in every hour is mind- boggling.

 

[brandon_]

Oh, Sweet! Atleast they find the time to take and confiscate my wine. :rage:

Cheers,