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CBSA seizes 140 pounds of cannabis at Halifax Stanfield International Airport

July 24, 2024 | David Brown

Border officers at Halifax Stanfield International Airport say they seized 140 pounds of suspected cannabis on Monday, July 22, in luggage destined for the UK.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) intercepted four large suitcases around 10:30 in the morning, then located and boarded the associated aircraft, identified the two passengers, and arrested them for smuggling a controlled substance out of Canada.

The suspects were then escorted to CBSA detention cells inside the airport, assisted by officers of the Halifax Regional Police Airport Security Unit.

They were then interviewed by investigators from the Guns and Drugs Unit of the RCMP/HRP Integrated Criminal Investigation Division, leading to investigators seizing amounts of Canadian and American currency, as well as British pounds.

The suspects, who the RCMP identified as Rebekah Dublin, 22, and Shante Liverpool, 20, along with all evidence seized by the CBSA, were turned over to the Integrated Criminal Investigation Division for further investigation.

Reports of cannabis exports into the US and other markets are not uncommon. The CBSA reports seizing more than 23,553,038 grams of cannabis products in fiscal year 2023-2024 and 126,210 grams of hash.

The amount of such seizures has increased significantly in the past six years.

These numbers are up from 16,967,843 grams of cannabis products and 15,429 grams of hash in the previous year and 16,133,955 grams of cannabis products and 28,588 grams of hash in 2021-2022.

In May, an investigation team seized 123 kg of cannabis, along with 11.5 kg of cocaine, ready for export at the Port of Montreal.
In June, while examining outbound luggage at the Halifax Stanfield airport, CBSA seized 32 kg of cannabis. On June 18, CBSA officers at the Montreal Maritime and Rail Services intercepted 309.52 kg of Hashish hidden in cans of tomato paste.
In May, border officials intercepted a package at the Montréal-Trudeau Airport that contained 120 kg of dried cannabis.
In April, Montreal Maritime and Rail Services CBSA officers seized 275 kg of dried cannabis hidden in bags of wood pellets.
In February, CBSA officials at Vancouver International seized over 180 kg of cannabis, and police in Québec said they arrested three people in connection with the illicit export of cannabis to the United States.
In January, the CBSA intercepted 310 kg of cannabis in a container exported from Canada to the UK at Montréal Marine and Rail Services.