CBSA Pacific Region officers have seized more than 9,400 weapons so far this year

Border officers in B.C. and the Yukon seized more than 9,400 weapons and related prohibited items during the first 10 months of the year, along with more than $1 million in cash and thousands of kilograms of illegal drugs.

This data comes from the Canada Border Services Agency's annual "year in review," which was published Monday and covers the period from Jan. 1 through Oct. 31 of this year.

As was the case in last year's data, the CBSA's Pacific Region – which covers the 43 ports of entry in B.C. and the Yukon – accounted for a disproportionately large percentage of the federal agency's overall weapons seizures.

The Pacific Region year in review says officers seized "9,451 weapons and prohibited items," a total that includes 209 firearms, 666 "miscellaneous parts for firearms or magazines," 7,747 prohibited weapons, and 829 "prohibited devices."

Nationally, CBSA officers seized 853 firearms and 15,637 prohibited weapons.

This means that B.C. and the Yukon – which together account for less than 15 per cent of Canada's population – saw nearly one-quarter of all CBSA-seized firearms during the period in question. The region saw nearly half of all seized prohibited weapons, not including firearms.

Notably, these proportions appear to be a decrease from last year, when the CBSA's Pacific Region accounted for roughly 60 per cent of the agency's weapons seizures nationwide.

• Read more: More than half of all weapons seizures by CBSA officers this year have been in B.C. and Yukon. Here's why.

Speaking to CTV News at the time, CBSA Pacific Region Supt. Daphne Chin said not every CBSA region has the volume and variety of modes of entry that the Pacific Region does. The region is home to Canada's largest port, an international mail centre and the country's third-busiest airport, in addition to road and rail ports of entry.

Chin described the large number of seizures in the Pacific Region in 2023 as evidence of a job well done, rather than a cause for concern.

This year's totals work out to an average of almost 31 weapons and related prohibited items seized each day in the Pacific Region.

The region's officers also conducted 7,960 drug seizures – an average of 26 a day – seizing "988 kilograms and 1,278 litres of methamphetamines, 279 kilograms of cocaine, 49 kilograms of opioids and 3,378 kilograms of illegal cannabis," according to the year in review.

Pacific Region officers also seized $1,262,015 in currency suspected to be the proceeds of crime, arrested 280 drivers for impairment and intercepted 119 stolen vehicles worth a combined $13 million, according to the CBSA.

More than 19.2 million travellers – including visitors and returning Canadians – passed through ports of entry in B.C. and Yukon during the first 10 months of the year. That's an increase of 1.6 million compared to the previous year.