Canada Border Service Agency News Release:
Undeclared firearm seized at the Pigeon River port of entry
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at the Pigeon River port of entry seized an undeclared firearm which resulted in numerous charges after a Florida man failed to declare it.
On May 18, 2015, Gordon Rankin, 59, of Winter Haven, Florida, arrived in a commercial vehicle at the Pigeon River port of entry seeking entry into Canada. During a secondary examination, border services officers found a box of ammunition and an empty holster and a black case, containing a .380 semi-automatic handgun with two loaded magazines, wedged between a bed and the wall of the truck cab. The driver was placed under arrest.
“It is the responsibility of all travellers to learn about the requirements to import a firearm into Canada,” said Tuula Schuler, CBSA Northwestern District Director.
“Illegal firearms and weapons are high-risk commodities and their interdiction is a CBSA enforcement priority.”
Rankin is charged with violating subsection 12(1), non-report of goods, paragraph 153(c),wilful evasion, section 155, possession of illegally imported goods and section 159, smuggling, all under the Customs Act.
Rankin appeared in court on May 19, 2015, in Thunder Bay, and was released on $2,500 bail. His next court appearance for these charges is scheduled for June 12, 2015.
Quick Facts
• Canadian firearms laws are clear. Anyone importing firearms and weapons into Canada must declare them and meet all licensing and registration requirements under the Firearms Act.
• Failure to declare goods, including firearms and weapons, and other Customs Act contraventions may lead to prosecution in a court of law.
• Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity is encouraged to call the CBSA Border Watch toll-free line at 1-888-502-9060.
