Tag: british columbia
By Caleb Hutton
In the past couple weeks, two people trying to cross into British Columbia via Whatcom County (and surrounding waters) were denied entry because they allegedly had child porn on their computers.
Here’s the press release from the Canada Border Services Agency:
Vancouver, British Columbia, December 12, 2012 — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced this week that during regular inspections of foreign nationals, officers seized three laptop computers and other electronic devices containing photographic images of suspected child pornography.
On December 2, during the examination of a marine vessel in Surrey, border services officers (BSOs) discovered a laptop computer concealed behind a case of bottled water in the store room. Officers questioned the crew members to identify the owner of the laptop, and then conducted a search of the computer, where they found numerous child exploitation images. Upon discovering the images, officers arrested the crew member and turned him over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), along with the laptop computer. The crew member remains in custody.
On December 5, during the examination of a foreign national entry at the Vancouver International Airport, BSOs discovered suspected child exploitation images on the traveller’s laptop. The laptop was seized, as well as multiple USB flash drives, a portable hard drive and two cell phones. The traveller was arrested, refused entry, and left Canada.
Also on December 5, a U.S. resident arrived at the Pacific Highway border crossing onboard a bus. The individual was referred for a secondary examination by BSOs. During the examination of his luggage, BSOs found suspected child exploitation images on his laptop. The traveller was arrested and his electronic media and devices were seized as evidence. The subject and the seized evidence were turned over to the RCMP. The individual was later released from custody on conditions and is scheduled to appear in court in January 2013.
“These cases show that those who prey on children operate globally, without regard to borders,” said Kim Scoville, the CBSA’s Executive Director in the Pacific Region. “Border services officers play an important role in fighting this worldwide problem, and will continue to work closely with our national and international partners to protect children from exploitation.”
BSOs in the Pacific Region have made 26 seizures of goods containing child exploitation images so far this year.
For information about prohibited importations, visit the CBSA Web site.
Posted by Caleb Hutton
Text courtesy of the Blaine Police Department, with minor edits for style.
Wednesday, Aug. 29
2:18 p.m. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office reported receiving information that a possibly armed man, whom they wanted on multiple warrants and a felony assault charge, had been dropped off at the Peace Arch State Park. Blaine police, U.S. Border Patrol agents and other agencies set up a perimeter around the park until it was determined the suspect had probably fled north into Canada. Royal Canadian Mounted Police were notified and the sheriff’s office continued its investigation. The suspect was later arrested in British Columbia.
Saturday, Sept. 1
8:37 p.m. While on night patrol an officer driving on Third Street came under aerial attack. Fortunately for the officer the seagull underestimated its weight ratio relative to the Dodge police cruiser, and the threat was somewhat instantly neutralized. The officer held a quick memorial service for the winged warrior funeral and removed the remains from his car’s grill and the roadway. A report was generated by department policy in case daylight reveals damage to city property.
10:35 p.m. Customs officers called police when a person entering the United States from Canada was found to have a small amount of cocaine in his possession. Blaine officers investigated, arrested the 28-year-old Surrey, B.C., resident and booked him in to jail, passing along to jail staff the man’s concerns about incarceration and his hope that a private room was available.
Sunday, Sept. 2
3:30 p.m. A passerby on H Street called police on a hot sunny afternoon to report that he was concerned about the welfare of a dog he had seen locked in a parked, unattended, British Columbia-plated Land Rover in a store parking lot. The caller explained he had tried to get the dog’s attention to judge his health, but the animal seemed unresponsive. An officer arrived within three minutes of the call, but the vehicle was gone. No other calls were received.
9:35 p.m. During a long northbound border backup, officers received a report that the occupant of a British Columbia-plated car had thrown litter onto the ground in front of a home in a residential neighborhood on 11th Street. An officer did not find the suspect, but found the partially full bottle of vodka, a container of orange juice and two paper coffee cups that the jerk left behind. The items were collected to get them off the street and disposed of in the trash.
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