36 - Sunday, November 20, 1988 - North Shore News

"TRAVEL

Customs making it
harder to smuggle

ANYONE WHO even briefly considers making a trip
through Canada Customs with contraband ought to spend a
day behind the scenes at the airport.

Our borders are being guarded
with a vigilance that the average
traveller is unaware of — unless he
runs afoul of the system.

Everyone is aware of the limits
regarding the importing of general
merchandise after a visit abroad.

The traveller must pay duty on
everything over the limit. Sounds
simple, doesn’t it? I saw a few
people yesterday who chose to take
a more complicated route.

One well-dressed middle-aged
couple were having their baggage
searched when I arrived at 10:15
a.m. The last I saw of them — at
noon — they were still there,
beside a growing pile of jewelry
and knick-knacks that they had
neglected to declare.

The officer was meticulous in
her work — every garment was
unfolded, checked for labels and
signs of wear and pockets were
turned out. My goodness! How did
this ring — all shiny new and box-
ed — end up in that pocket?

I was equally impressed with the
officer’s manner towards the pair.

Although they were obviously
breaking the law they were treated
courteously — and she repacked
every item (except the contraband)
with great care.

Much more important, ‘though,
is the prevention of illegal or
‘ harmful substances being im-
ported. We saw quite a collection
of these, stockpiled in various
iocked storage areas. ~

Guns are rarely a problem at the
airport ~ only one has been con-
fiscated in the last four years.

Other weapons are much more
likely to surface — switchblades,
blowguns, nunchakas (oriental
Sirangulation devices) and aerosol
stun-spray tins were neatly labeiled
and packaged, never to be used on
some unwazy victim.

Along with the weapons are
various pieces of endangered
species of animals — turtle shells,
reptile purses and shoes, leopard
Skins and ivory figurines are some
of the products currently in
storage.

Brian Flagel, Manager at
Canada Customs passed on a warn-
ing to those contemplating pur-

y) Marlin

L FRANCE
See Cen

chasing exotic items abroad,
“Beware of shopkeerers!””

He pointed out a zebra handbag
and explained, ‘“The customer was
told that this was made from
‘tame’ zebra, raised on a farm.
Zebras are NOT farmed in Africa,
but how is the tourist to know?
And he’s unlikely to return the
purse and get his money back.”’

travel

wise
Barbara McCreadie
ES

Canada Customs is getting more
and more modern equipment to
make it harder for smugglers —
and illegal visitors.

The first new line of defence is a

set of computer terminals at the
primary checkpoint. These scan all
passports, entering the particulars
into a memory bank.

Officers at this point judge if the
traveller has made an honest dec-
laration and may pick up his bags
and go home — or, pay a visit to

* the ‘‘secondary”’ checkpoint where

baggage is searched.

Last September, Vancouver In-
ternational Airport was chosen to
be the first in Canada to receive
the new Micro-Dose X-ray Inspec-
tion System. This is truly a re-
markable piece of equipment.

Ours is anique — it had to be
specially made, extra large to ac-
sommodate the huge suitcases
often entering customs from the

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Date: November 28, 1988
Piace: Canyon Gardens, 3381 Capilano Rd.
Time: 7:00 p.m.

Guest Speaker:

Wine & Cheese

Mr. tan Perkins

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Far East. This one can scan a bag
up to 24 inches in depth.

Previously, X-ray machines were
most useful for detection ‘‘hard-
ware’’, especially metals. This one
detects darn near everything — one
of the first hauls was four
packages of dope concealed in a
wicker basket.

Alongside the machine is a re-
cord book, listing each illegal item
revealed by the machine and the
particulars of the seizure.

It’s a shocker — following sev-
eral mundane things such as ‘tone
apple” and ‘half a ham sand-
wich’’ comes $25 million heroin!
No capital letters or red stars, just
a simple hand-written entry.

Drug smuggling is a fact of life,
but hardly one that concerns
average tourists like you and me.

It’s reassuring to know that
Canada Customs at Vancouver In-
ternational Airport is waging war
on the creeps that are bringing the
stuff in — and winning. To date,
$75 million worth of illegal drugs
have been detected using every
means at hand.

Qne includes the use of two

well-trained dogs, a shepherd and

a lab, that check incoming baggage
as it’s unloaded from the planes.

Between the canines and the X-
tray machine, drug smuggling is
getting to be an even riskier line of
work — and an 11 year jail
sentence for the first offeace is
also a deterrent.

eee

Here’s just another example of
the tunnel-vision exhibited by our
federal! government,

When Expo °86 was in the
works, they supplied Canada
Customs with 29 additional of-
ficers to handle the expected in-
crease in air traffic.

In July, 1986, 189,000 passen-
gers passed through customs.

In July, 1987, 207,000 pecple
came through our airport customs.
In its wisdom, Cttawa provided
only nine additional officers. No
wonder some delays were experi-
enced.

Allocation of staff at the various
checkpoints is another headache.

First, there must be sufficient

See Customs
Page 37

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