Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
Interesting

Lax Border Checks Allow Illegal Drugs To Slip Undetected Out Of Canada: Auditor

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Feb, 2016 11:43 AM
    OTTAWA — The Canada Border Services Agency is not keeping a close enough eye on exports, causing high-risk shipments — including illegal drugs and stolen cars — to leave the country undetected, auditor general Michael Ferguson says.
     
    In his latest series of reports examining the efficiencies and failings of various government departments, the federal watchdog finds the border agency is not reviewing all export declarations and not examining many shipments flagged by its own internal system — or by warnings from other departments.
     
    Up to 20 per cent of high-risk exports identified by the agency's centralized targeting units were allowed to pass without inspection.
     
    Much of the breakdown relates to staff levels; in some locations, inspections cease entirely if a single staff member goes away on vacation.
     
    "We also found that the agency did not always conduct targeting and examinations during all hours and days when export shipments move," the audit said. "This meant that non-compliant shipments were exported undetected."
     
    The audit found that when the agency did detain shipments, it was holding on to legitimate goods far too long and — in some cases — costing businesses their contracts.
     
    Also, Ferguson found that while goods valued under $2,000 do not require a permit, they can be subject to random inspection, but often are not because of a shortage of staff.
     
     
    Small, undeclared parcels are a popular means for drug traffickers to get their illicit products out of the country, but according to Ferguson's report, huntng for those shipments is not a priority under the current system.
     
    "The agency had identified illegal drugs being exported out of Canada as a high-risk area; it made several drug seizures during the period of our audit," said the report, tabled Tuesday in Parliament. 
     
    "But agency officials told us that the limits on their examination authorities reduced their effectiveness in preventing the export of illegal drugs. This limited authority, together with limited resources, resulted in the agency’s not setting export of illegal drugs as an examination priority."
     
    Ferguson said the agency receives a mish-mash of customs declarations and that the whole system should be electronic.
     
    In 2014, the agency received data on about 787,500 electronic forms declarations submitted through the Canadian Automated Export Declaration (CAED) system — an outdated network that was due to be replaced years ago. Additionally, it received at least 44,000 paper declarations.
     
    Exporters intend on evading the inspection system seem to know that all they have to do in order to slip past is to file the paperwork right at the deadline. Declarations must be submitted at least two hours before shipments are loaded on planes and at least 48 hours before loading onto ships.
     
     
     "We were told that about one third of targets were not examined because the agency’s local office received information about the targets too late—that is, after the shipments had already left or been loaded on planes and ships," said the audit.

    MORE Interesting ARTICLES

    Beware! Night Shifts Increases Cancer Risk

    Beware! Night Shifts Increases Cancer Risk
    Higher levels of sex hormones at the 'wrong' time may be blamed for increased cancer risk in night shift workers, says a new study.

    Beware! Night Shifts Increases Cancer Risk

    First Indian-American Retirement Resort, Shantiniketan, Opens In Florida

    First Indian-American Retirement Resort, Shantiniketan, Opens In Florida
    Situated in Tavares, Florida, ShantiNiketan is an age-restricted community where at least one of the residents should be above 55 years of age. 

    First Indian-American Retirement Resort, Shantiniketan, Opens In Florida

    Facebook Helps Elderly Rekindle Old Flames

    Facebook Helps Elderly Rekindle Old Flames
    In your 50s and miss your old flame? You could probably try your luck on Facebook as a survey suggests many senior British people are already searching for girlfriends of their younger days on the social networking site.

    Facebook Helps Elderly Rekindle Old Flames

    With Fun And Trivia, This Bhagavad Gita Is For All Ages

    With Fun And Trivia, This Bhagavad Gita Is For All Ages
    The Bhagvad Gita has been a universal, all-time bestseller. But even its translated versions in a host of languages has been rather difficult for adults and the young alike to fathom in its true spirit, leave alone its original text in Sanskrit.

    With Fun And Trivia, This Bhagavad Gita Is For All Ages

    Why One Woman Doesn't Gift Perfume To Another

    Why One Woman Doesn't Gift Perfume To Another
    Women who do buy or share fragrances with other women choose fragrances they do not like themselves - or no longer value, the findings showed.

    Why One Woman Doesn't Gift Perfume To Another

    NASA's New Horizons To Become The First Spacecraft To Fly By Pluto

    NASA's New Horizons To Become The First Spacecraft To Fly By Pluto
    On Tuesday, however, scientists will get their closest and clearest look at the dwarf planet when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft is expected to get within 12,500 kilometres of its surface.

    NASA's New Horizons To Become The First Spacecraft To Fly By Pluto