Congratulations to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the five other agencies who arrested 42 people, seized 173 guns and “a large quantity of illegal narcotics, cash, and ammunition” in a massive cross-border gun trafficking bust. [i]
The CBSA helped achieve this success despite chronic underfunding and staff shortages.
“We’re concerned the measures proposed by the Agency will only serve to further … undermine border security,” said Mark Weber, President of the Customs and Immigration Union (CIU). “Minister Marco Mendicino and CBSA must commit to a real plan and increase the number of border officers as soon as possible.”[ii]
Imagine how many illegal guns the CBSA and partner agencies could “take off the street” if CBSA was adequately funded.
Trudeau’s Liberal government will continue to ignore CBSA’s very real funding needs.
Instead, he’ll force Canadians to pay billions of dollars in Firearms Confiscation Compensation (FCC) to licensed gun owners – and act that won’t stop a single drug dealer or gang member from getting an illegal gun.
The bust of this huge gun smuggling ring is a timely reminder of the great work CBSA and other police agencies do to truly keep Canadians safe.
Other notable reminders of CBSA’s valuable (but grossly underfunded) work that is ignored by this Liberal government include:
- 56 guns seized when a Florida resident attempted to smuggle them into Canada in 2021;[iii]
- 565 illegal guns seized by CBSA agents in the first quarter of 2021 alone;
- 548 illegal guns seized from individuals who attempted to smuggle them into Canada in 2020.[iv]
Solving the real problem – illegal gun and drug smuggling – simply isn’t a priority for Justin Trudeau’s government.
Virtue-signalling and pandering to small but vocal groups who push Trudeau’s “ban all guns” agenda is far more important to the prime minister than common sense actions that strike at the heart of violent crime in our cities.
From Small Beginnings Come Massive Success
What initially began as two small police operations in the GTA merged to become Project Moneypenny, a year-long investigation to shut down a major gun smuggling network.
“It is important to note that firearms can be used in multiple crimes multiple times so even a single seizure can have a ripple effect. So congratulations again to the team that worked on Project Moneypenny,” said said David Glos, CBSA Intelligence and Investigations Division.
Investigators seized 86 firearms (75 handguns, 11 long guns) in the GTA, 87 firearms in Illinois, 45 over-capacity magazines, 1,454 rounds of ammunition, three sets of body armour, 1.5 kilos of fentanyl/Carfentanil, 1.8 kilos of cocaine and $184,000 in cash.
The 42 individuals arrested during Project Moneypenny are alleged drug dealers from the GTA.
The agencies involved are the Toronto Police Service, York Regional Police, Durham Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Canada Border Services Agency and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
World’s Longest Undefended Border
“[We have the] largest undefended border in the world, right?” said Toronto police Supt. Steven Watts. “We all know that. So there’s a variety of smuggling techniques that are used.[v]
It’s impossible to know how many illegal guns, kilos of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl are smuggled into Canada via the rail system because CBSA lacks the resources required to inspect them.
“Only one one-millionth of all rail cargo was effectively being examined. The reality is that our current operational abilities in the rail field are virtually non-existent,” said Mark Weber, National President of the Customs and Immigration Union.[vi]
Trudeau’s “plan” is to continue to ignore this very real border security crisis instead of funding CBSA properly so it can keep Canadians safe.
Virtue Signalling vs True Crime Prevention
PolySeSouvient, Coalition for Gun Control and Doctors Who Hate Gun Owners all want firearms removed from civilian ownership.
“We have an agenda and our task will be completed when all firearms have been prohibited,” Heidi Rathjen proudly proclaimed in 1995.[vii]
“Honestly – it’s the guns, it’s the guns. Ban civilian ownership of guns,” Dr. Najma Ahmed routinely states on today Twitter.[viii]
CBSA seizures of illegal weapons prevent violent criminals, drug dealers and gangs from getting the illegal guns they use to shoot up cities across Canada.
CBSA stops criminals before they move their illegal guns and drugs into the country.
CBSA literally prevents crimes from happening, yet this agency is chronically underfunded and understaffed.
CBSA and its partner agencies stopped 86 guns from reaching “the street” this without any assistance from PolySeSouvient, Coalition for Gun Control and Doctors Who Hate Guns.
CBSA works hard to keep Canadians safe.
Imagine the incredible feats CBSA could accomplish with the billions of dollars in Firearms Confiscation Compensation the Trudeau government will pay licensed gun owners.
Then write your Prime Minister and insist that he stop playing politics with Canadian lives and demand he fund CBSA properly.
Sources:
[i] https://www.cp24.com/news/police-intercept-guns-disguised-as-holiday-gifts-arrest-42-people-in-major-cross-border-bust-1.6350517
[ii] https://psacunion.ca/delays-border-cbsa-lets-border-officers-and
[iii] https://toronto.citynews.ca/2021/11/20/florida-woman-charged-attempting-to-smuggle-56-guns-into-ontario/
[iv] https://cssa-cila.org/cbsa-breaks-2020-record-for-illegal-guns-seized-in-the-first-quarter-of-2021/#_edn1
[v] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/police-gun-cross-border-1.6806530
[vi] https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/SECU/meeting-4/evidence#Int-11484573
[vii] https://www.ourcommons.ca/content/archives/committee/351/jula/evidence/134_95-05-16/jula134_blk-e.html
[viii] https://twitter.com/najmadoc/status/1280279424936656896
Firearm Prohibition Orders: Australia and New Zealand Get It Right