Vancouver-area border guards intercept massive cannabis stash leaving Canada as CBSA seeks to disrupt criminal rings

CHILLIWACK — It might be legal to consume cannabis on the domestic market, but it remains illegal to export it without permission from the Government of Canada due to the criminal organizations that reap the proceeds from illicit activity.

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced Wednesday (Aug. 24) that it intercepted nearly a ton of cannabis bound to leave Canada in the months of May and June.

“Although cannabis has been legalized and regulated in Canada, it remains illegal to import or export cannabis and cannabis products without a valid permit or exemption issued by the Government of Canada. These significant seizures demonstrate our commitment to intercepting illegal narcotics – at import and export – and contributes directly to disrupting criminal organization activity,” said Rahul Coelho, acting director for the Metro Vancouver district of the Pacific region for Canada Border Services Agency.

On May 26, border services officers conducted an examination of a marine container set for export. With the assistance of a CBSA detector dog and using a wide range of detection tools and technology, officers found 1,036 vacuum-sealed bags of suspected cannabis. A total of 592 kilograms of substance believed to be cannabis was seized.