Walrus skull, turkey talon, bobcat skins and 8 firearms among items 2 Americans tried to bring into Canada: CBSA
A pair of Americans tried to bring a lengthy and somewhat strange list of undeclared items into Canada, border officials say.
In a news release last week, the Canada Border Services Agency outlined a list of items including firearms and animal products, which it says were seized by officers somewhere in its "West Coast and Yukon District."
CBSA would not tell CTV News specifically where in that district the items were seized, including in which province or territory, and while the news release was not issued until July 15, the seizure allegedly took place nearly two months earlier.
It appears the border crossing was on land, based on the seizure of the travellers' vehicle.
According to CBSA, the U.S. residents were "seeking entry to transit through Canada," suggesting they may have been heading to or from Alaska, but officials have not confirmed that detail.
For undisclosed reasons, the men were referred for secondary examination, CBSA said. The agency said it was during this search that eight undeclared firearms were uncovered, one of which was prohibited.
Border officials say they also found 15 prohibited magazines.
Among the more unusual items, CBSA said they found several animal products, many of which are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which falls under federal wildlife trade law.
CBSA said its officers found two ivory tusks, as well as two ivory ornaments, among the Americans' things. It said 13 ivory pucks were also found.
The men had with them three bobcat skins, two sheep horns, one bear paw, one turkey talon and one bear skull, CBSA said.
Additionally, it is alleged they had seven pieces of whale baleen, two seal-skin hats and one walrus skull.
According to the agency, the animal products were seized by Environment and Climate Change Canada, and the traveller who claimed ownership of the goods was given two penalties with a $1,200 fine.
That person, who has been identified only as male, was also issued an $8,500 penalty by CBSA for the release of his vehicle.
He's also been charged with four counts under the Canadian Criminal Code and Customs Act: unauthorized possession of a firearm; unauthorized possession of prohibited devices; making false statements; and smuggling.
The allegations have not been proven in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
There's progress reported in Gaza truce talks, but Israel downplays chances of ending war with Hamas
A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in cease-fire talks with Israel, though an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war in Gaza.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.