Massive cannabis shipment intercepted by the CBSA in Saint John Français
On May 21, 2025, border services officers at the Port of Saint John, with assistance from CBSA intelligence officers in the Greater Toronto Area and Atlantic Regions, examined a marine container destined for export to Scotland, United Kingdom.
During this examination, officers uncovered over 6,700 kilograms of suspected cannabis, valued at $49.6 M. The drugs were falsely declared on the documentation provided to the CBSA and were concealed in nearly 400 boxes inside the container.
The quantity seized in this single shipment is three times more than the total amount of cannabis seized by the CBSA across Canada in the previous year.
The cannabis and all evidence were transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Eastern Region Federal Policing (New Brunswick) for further investigation.
The CBSA and the RCMP are securing our borders by collaborating on investigations to prevent illegal drug smuggling and organized crime from threatening the safety and well-being of our communities.
Although cannabis is legal in Canada, cannabis smuggling supports organized crime and helps fund other illegal activities, such as narcotics and weapons smuggling. It is often used as an exchange for other illegal drugs being imported into Canada such as cocaine. The trade of contraband cannabis is a major threat to the safety and health of Canadians. It is a serious criminal offence, punishable with imprisonment of up to 5 years under the Customs Act and up to 14 years under the Cannabis Act.
Quotes
"Our government's top priority is the safety and security of Canadians. Illegal cannabis helps fuel transnational organized crime. This seizure demonstrates our continued commitment to fight it and keep our borders strong and secure. I applaud CBSA and RCMP officers for their commitment to securing the border."
- The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety
"This historic seizure is the result of a unified tactical plan and effective information-sharing among CBSA officers and our law enforcement partners. I am extremely proud of the level of skill, professionalism and hard work of everyone involved in this intelligence-led operation."
- Dominic Mallette, Regional Director General, Canada Border Services Agency, Atlantic Region
"The RCMP continues to work closely with provincial, national, and international law enforcement partners, as well as government entities like CBSA to ensure a coordinated response to reduce the flow of illicit drugs within and outside of Canada. Intelligence sharing and operational engagement with our partners contributes to successful action against the illegal drug trade."
Superintendent Germain Leger, Federal Policing, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Quick Facts
Canada is investing $1.3 billion to bolster security at the border and strengthen the immigration system, all while keeping Canadians safe. Information available on the Border Plan is available at: The Government of Canada's Border Plan: significant investments to strengthen border security and our immigration system - Canada.ca
CBSA officers at the Container Examination Facility in Saint John are responsible for examining high-risk containers and cargo arriving and leaving Canada by sea via the Port of Saint John.
Working closely with other law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP, the CBSA uses data, intelligence, and risk indicators to identify illegal goods transiting the border.
The Agency conducts intelligence operations and investigations, to identify and interdict contraband. These activities continue to lead to numerous seizures across the country, and various charges laid under the Customs Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.
For the latest seizure statistics, visit Canada Border Services Agency enforcement action statistics.
If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060.
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National Observer
37 minutes ago
- National Observer
Convoy sentencing part of a fraught judicial history around protest
Tamara Lich emerged from the Ontario Court of Justice in downtown Ottawa on Thursday afternoon, walking past throngs of journalists, right wing media personalities and dedicated supporters brandishing signs. The two-day sentencing hearing for Lich and Chris Barber — two of the 'Freedom Convoy's' main organizers — saw their supporters from the Ottawa Valley and even as far as Alberta gather both outside and inside the courthouse to sing the praises of these controversial figures. Inside the courtroom, with roughly 60 observers and journalists on day one, the mood was mellow and restrained, save for a smattering of snickers when the Crown attorney said this case is not about political views. The spectacle provided an opportunity for Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada to reaffirm their loyalty to the far-right segment of their base. 'The Crown wants 7 years prison time for the charge of mischief for Lich & Barber,' Poilievre posted on X, two days before the sentencing hearing began. 'How is this justice?' 'This is political vengeance, not actual justice,' wrote deputy Conservative Leader Melissa Lantsman. As Lich and Barber await their sentences, expected to be announced on Oct. 7, these statements and many more like them continue to ricochet through the conservative media ecosystem. Ezra Levant, founder of Rebel News, showed up at the Ottawa court to cover the two-day hearing; so did right-wing influencers like Right Blend and Dacey Media. Those who couldn't make it in person posted from afar. 'Canada is turning into a banana republic,' the Pleb Reporter posted from Montreal. 'The left are cheering for dictator style punishments for light dissent. A protest where no violence occurred. Please wake up Canada.' Canada's National Observer obtained an internal report by the CSIS spy agency on 'Climate Change and Terrorism.' The majority of the document — some 90 per cent of the text — focuses on threats posed by environmentalists. Transport Canada has estimated that the Convoy movement cost Canadians $3.9 billion in lost trade due to the convoy-affiliated border blockades that spread across the country in February 2022. The protests cost the city of Ottawa over $36 million, mostly on policing. That figure doesn't include the cost to businesses forced to close for weeks, or the harm done to some 12,000 residents of Ottawa's Centretown whose homes were bombarded by the noise of semi-trucks honking their horns in synchronized 10-minute blasts, loud and long enough to cause permanent hearing damage. 'It's really hard to describe how fucked up those horns were,' Paul Champ, the lawyer who filed the injunction that ultimately forced an end to the honking — but not the occupation — told Canada's National Observer. 'They had a schedule. Four hundred semi-trucks pulling down all together. It was dystopian.' Champ was initially reluctant to get involved. 'I believe really deeply in protest, and it doesn't matter what issue you're protesting. You should have the right to be out there. There's lots of reasonable reasons to disagree with certain COVID measures and given how significant the impact was on people's life, people should protest,' he said. He also felt protest leaders shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of a few bad actors, like those who defecated on residents' lawns or sent fireworks bouncing off apartment walls. But the damage done by the horns, along with the serial harassment of businesses and residents alike for wearing masks (at a time when mask-wearing was mandated for public indoor spaces to prevent COVID's spread), changed his mind. 'It's important to distinguish between the issues that the people were protesting and the manner in which they were protesting,' Champ said. 'They were honking those horns because they were trying to make living downtown extremely difficult. And they were doing that to put pressure on the government … they were kind of holding the people of downtown Ottawa hostage.' For the Conservative Party to become the movement's champion without acknowledging any of those harms spoke volumes, Champ added. Poilievre famously brought donuts to members of the Convoy during the blockades, and described them as 'bright, joyful, and peaceful Canadians championing freedom over fear.' 'Poilievre never spoke out about how miserable it was for the people who have young kids, for the elderly, people with disabilities, the shelters that are downtown, all the business people — he just didn't give a crap because he's exploiting it for political gain.' That strategy created an enormous new base for Poilievre in 2022, almost overnight. 'Pierre took a principled stance which hurt him politically when it mattered the most. This is how he earned my loyalty,' the Pleb Reporter posted on Monday. Courting the Convoy vote brought Poilievre within a hair of becoming prime minister, but ultimately backfired spectacularly. It cost him not only the election but also the parliamentary seat (Carleton, which abuts downtown Ottawa) he had held for 21 years. Judging by their engagement with this week's sentencing of Lich and Barber, however, Poilievre and the Conservatives still view their Convoy following as crucial to the party's future. In return, right-wing influencers such as The Pleb Reporter, Right Blend and others were quick to thank Poilievre for speaking up about the sentencing this week, marking the first time many of them have mentioned the Conservative leader since he lost the election. If any doubts remained about whether the two groups still feel they need each other, this week should put them to rest. Who does the state fear more? This chapter of the Freedom Convoy's legal travails also revives deeper questions about which protest groups are seen as threats by Canadian authorities, and which are not. Canada's National Observer obtained an internal report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) spy agency entitled ' Climate Change and Terrorism: From Threat Multiplication to Radicalization.' The report was produced in July 2024, two years after the Freedom Convoy. It includes a brief mention of 'the Freedom Movement' under a one-paragraph sidebar labeled 'Climate denialists and the Culture Wars.' Here, the report briefly acknowledges that climate denial is merging with other conspiracy theories to 'drive acts of serious violence or terrorism.' Among the hybrids identified are 'conspiracy theories about government attempts to restrict individual freedoms (e.g. 'climate lockdown').' But the majority of the document — some 90 per cent of the text — focuses on threats posed by environmentalists. 'In Canada, a significant increase in the frequency or severity of extreme weather is likely to drive radicalization to violence and increase the threat from environmentally focused terrorists in the medium to long term,' the report states. It further predicts the 'increased use of extreme weather events in propaganda by violent extremists to radicalize and recruit new supporters, notably by assigning blame for climate-driven disasters on specific groups (migrants, politicians, industries, etc.).' Headings that follow include 'Eco-terrorism,' 'Violent fringes of the environmental movement,' and 'Eco-Fascists.' CSIS did not reply to queries about this report from Canada's National Observer. Asked whether the organization views eco-radicals as a greater threat to national security than right-wing groups like the Freedom Convoy, a spokesperson wrote by email: 'CSIS's 2024 Public report — available online — provides a detailed overview of how CSIS views the current global threat environment.' That report, however, only mentions 'climate change' once in passing, without naming any specific related threats. It says nothing about eco-terrorism, climate denialism or the Freedom Convoy. James Turk, director for the Centre for Free Expression, reviewed the document. The CSIS Integrated Threat Assessment Centre is a specialized organization whose job is to look at the rise in terrorism and other threats, so it makes sense the report doesn't dwell on the 'culture wars' and climate denial, he said in an interview with Canada's National Observer. But viewing the environmental movement through the lens of terrorism creates an environment where the discussion shifts from how to limit radicalization rather than how to limit the damages of climate change, he said. 'Let's prevent the problem rather than figure out how we're going to police the outcome if we don't remedy the problem,' Turk said. Who's scarier, eco-terrorists or right-wing radicals? It's common for protesters from all ideological backgrounds to feel unjustly persecuted by police. But for all the complaints from Conservatives and Freedom Convoy members over their rough treatment at the end of their blockade, the Convoy's start was marked by an unusual level of police cooperation. 'The big question was why the police did not enforce any laws for that particular group,' said Joao Velloso, a professor of criminology at the University of Ottawa. When truckers started pulling into downtown Ottawa, he noted, police didn't even hand out tickets for illegal parking. 'It's quite scary that police can decide to not enforce any laws. That's quite dangerous for democracy.' Images of police officers shaking hands and taking selfies with protesters emerged not just from Ottawa, but also from other convoy blockades throughout the country, like the one in Coutts, Alberta, where some of the protesters were later found to have been stockpiling assault weapons. Each of these groups was blocking critical infrastructure, collectively inflicting billions of dollars of damage on the national economy. This paints a stark contrast to the treatment given to environmental and Indigenous protesters who target infrastructure. During the Fairy Creek protests against old growth logging on Vancouver Island in 2021, RCMP officers were filmed tearing the masks off protesters before spraying them point blank in the face with pepper spray — tactics a judge later declared illegal — for blocking a logging road. Two years before that, during the Wet'suwet'en protests against BC's Coastal GasLink pipeline, RCMP dispatched snipers ahead of a militarized arrest of Indigenous protesters and journalists, generating international headlines. It is hard to compare how various protest groups are treated because with all the different factions and protest methods it's rarely an apples to apples comparison. For example, the 'Freedom Convoy' protests were exceptional because the protesters utilized huge hard-to-remove trucks, which he says may have thrown a spanner in the police response in Ottawa. While Turk emphasized it's 'hard to generalize' which groups are perceived and treated as a bigger threat by the state, overall, 'people who see themselves as defenders of the environment have been treated more harshly than people who are promoting the exploitation of the environment,' Turk said. In Canada, property rights and trespass law 'are used to justify harsh treatment of many progressive protests' including ones that interfere with logging, pipelines and energy infrastructure or advocate for Palestinian solidarity, he said. 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During the Wet'suwet'en protests, RCMP arrested 74 people in four separate raids. At Fairy Creek, the number of arrests once again surpassed 1,100 and many were prosecuted. 'If you look at all the mass incarceration events, they're almost entirely left-wing,' Daniel said. At the same time, Daniel agrees that the Crown's recommendation of 7 and 8 year jail terms for Lich and Barber, respectively, is far longer than typical for protest organizers. 'I don't want to see a huge, long jail sentence happening,' she said. 'Aggressive policing only ends up radicalizing people. Whenever forceful removal of a protester happens, usually that protester in turn doesn't become more compliant and trusting of the state. The opposite happens.'
CTV News
8 hours ago
- CTV News
Youth charged with murder in 2024 Vancouver Island homicide
A youth has been charged with second-degree murder and released from custody in a case that began with a missing person report out of Nanaimo last year. The body of Tavis Cagg was found at a home in Lake Cowichan on Sept. 3, 2024, the same day he was reported missing, the RCMP's Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit said last year. A suspect was identified at the time and that person was arrested and charged on Wednesday, according to authorities. 'The suspect has been released by the court and is to abide by multiple court-ordered conditions. The youth's name cannot be released as it is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act,' a Thursday statement from the RCMP said. 'To preserve the integrity of the investigation and the judicial process, no further details will be provided.' When the homicide investigation was first announced, police described Cagg's killing as an 'isolated incident' but did not provide any details on how Cagg died, why his death was suspicious, or the relationship – if any – between the victim and suspect.
The Province
9 hours ago
- The Province
Three dead in Maple Ridge, one involving self-inflicted injury, after 'neighbourhood dispute'
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The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Rebecca Whalen with the Independent Investigations Office says RCMP reported two people were dead before police arrived at a house on 239th Street just before 11 p.m. Another person later died in a neighbouring house of what police are calling a self-inflicted injury. The IIO confirmed the two victims inside the home were a male and female both in their 60s. A dog inside the home was also killed. Police were first called about a neighbourhood dispute in the 11800-block of 239th Street shortly after 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to Ridge Meadows RCMP. 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RCMP on the scene at a house in the 11900 block of 238 St after an incident which left three people dead including one of self inflicted wounds in Maple Ridge, B.C., July 24, 2025. Photo by Nick Procaylo / PNG The fires were put out by Maple Ridge Fire Department. On Thursday morning, the two vehicles remained outside the home behind police tape, both badly damaged and scorched by fire. One vehicle, a Volkswagen parked on the driveway of 11849 239 St., had a Trek bicycle fixed to its roof rack while the front window was shattered and its front end split open from the fire. The other vehicle also sat parked on the street with burnt-out windows and scorch marks. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. RCMP on scene at a house in the 11900 block of 238 St after an incident which left three people dead including one of self inflicted wounds in Maple Ridge, B.C., July 24, 2025. 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You see it in the movies, but you don't expect it to be in your own neighbourhood, right?' The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has taken over the investigation of the two people found dead inside the first residence. The civilian-led IIO is responsible for investigating incidents of death or serious harm where police officers had interactions with the people involved. With files from The Canadian Press Read More RCMP on scene at a house in the 11900 block of 238 St after an incident which left three people dead including one of self inflicted wounds in Maple Ridge, B.C., July 24, 2025. Photo by Nick Procaylo / PNG RCMP on scene at a house in the 11900 block of 238 St after an incident which left three people dead including one of self inflicted wounds in Maple Ridge, B.C., July 24, 2025. Photo by Nick Procaylo / PNG Vancouver Whitecaps Hockey Vancouver Canucks Soccer Health
