ILLEGAL DRUGS TOP LIST OF CUSTOMS SEIZURES IN '04

Drug Seizures In Pacific Region Totalled 2,174; Unreported Currency Was
Second At 732

Drug seizures topped the list of prohibited and restricted items
apprehended by the Canada Border Services Agency at entry points in the
Pacific region in 2004.

A total of 2,174 drug seizures came up with more than 506 kilograms of
drugs, including approximately 320 kilos of cocaine, 15 kilos of heroin, 47
kilos of marijuana, 20 kilos of opium, 149,000 doses of steroids and 10,000
doses of ecstasy.

Currency seizures ranked second, with more than $18 million in unreported
currency in 732 separate seizures.

In addition, the CBSA made 465 weapons seizures, resulting in the
confiscation of more than 4,000 weapons. They included 692 firearms --
handguns, shotguns, rifles, and semi-automatic pistols -- 2,536
switchblades and other knives, as well as hundreds of blow guns, crossbows,
brass knuckles, grenades, stun-guns and tear gas.

Also high on the list of seized objects were prohibited plant material,
meat and poultry products and animal byproducts. The agriculture unit of
the CBSA, which is based at Vancouver International Airport, made 20,319
inspections, resulting in 10,424 interceptions, which resulted in 1,439
enforcement actions.

CBSA officials showed off a number of their seizures Tuesday, including a
large number of cigarettes, at the customs mail centre in Vancouver.

"Some of the items we see at the customs mail centre are tobacco products
in cans of Pringles potato chips, and we also find large quantities of
tobacco concealed in ottomans and other large pieces of furniture," said
mail centre chief Mike Hryciuk.

"As well, some of the cigarettes are concealed in Tupperware containers
that have tinfoil in there to try to evade tools we use at the mail centre
like X-ray technology, but the X-ray technology is able to pick them out."

Other trophies included illegal steroids, replica handguns, two .45-calibre
semiautomatic weapons and a number of animal products, including giant
clamshells, snakeskin boots and restricted packaged meats from Asia.

Hryciuk said the number of seizures remained constant with those of
previous years, with the exception of narcotics.

"What we have seen in 2004 was a significant increase in some of the
high-risk narcotics such as cocaine and heroin in the Pacific region," he said.

He said the seized goods will be destroyed. The seized money will
ultimately go into general revenue for the federal government.

On the enforcement side, agency prosecutions resulted in fines totalling
just over $500,000, as well as other sentences including jail time. In some
cases, the agency proceeded with civil legal actions, which resulted in
additional fines of more than $300,000.

Investigations also resulted in 1,700 individuals, including 325 criminals,
being removed from Canada during the calendar year. Criminal removals were
up from 261 the previous year.

Most of those removed for non-criminal reasons were failed refugee
applicants. In addition, border security officers made 1,415 arrests.

On The Border:

Enforcement in the Pacific region in 2004

Canada Border Services Agency staff: more than 1,539

Regional land, air and marine ports of entry: 43

Travellers processed: over 18 million

Vehicles processed: nearly six million

Commercial releases processed: more than 1.5 million

Pieces of mail handled: nearly six million

Drug seizures: 2,174

Cocaine: 320 kilos

Heroin: 15 kilos

Marijuana: 47 kilos

Opium: 20 kilos

Ecstasy: 10,000 doses

Steroids: 149,000 doses

Weapon Seizures: 465

Firearms: 692

Knives: 2,536

Currency Seizures: 732

Dollar value: More than $18 million

Recovered children: 16

Immigration violations: 3,350

Removals: 1,700, including 325 criminals.

Agricultural inspections: 20,319

Arrests: 1,415

Outstanding Warrants: 115

Stolen Property: 22

Impaired: 233

Immigration: 1,045

Total Criminal Fines: $516,221

Total civil fines: $301,786