CBSA: Help Us Catch War Criminals in Canada

[The Bread Guy]

Today, the federal government asked Canadians to help in identifying 30 individuals accused of, or complicit in, war crimes or crimes against humanity, and who are thought to be hiding out in locations across Canada. The announcement was made in Toronto by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, and Luc Portelance, President of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) .... Canada is recognized around the world for its leadership in global efforts to hold persons suspected of, or complicit in, serious human rights abuses accountable for their crimes through cooperation with other countries and international tribunals .... The CBSA, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Department of Justice, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police work cooperatively with international partners to ensure that those who have engaged in such crimes find no sanctuary in Canada .... “We hope that reaching out to the public today will enhance the ability of the CBSA and its partner organizations to effectively deal with persons complicit in these acts,” said (CBSA) President (Luc) Portelance. “I'm here with the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, to encourage the public to provide any information to the CBSA about violations of our immigration law or suspicious cross-border activity by calling the Border Watch Toll-free line or their local police.” .... Help us keep our borders safe. If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity or immigration-related offences, please contact the Canada Border Services Agency Border Watch Toll-free Line at 1-888-502-9060.

Source:  CBSA news release, 21 Jul 11

Here's the "Top 30" list.  An interesting mix of originating countries:
- Africa (Algeria, Peru, Sudan, Somalia, Angola, Nigeria, DRC, Ghana):  12
- South Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka):  8
- Central/South America (Peru, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras):  6
- Other (Haiti, Iraq, Yugoslavia):  4

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

That was quick

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/07/22/suspected-war-criminal.html

"Suspected war criminal arrested in Alberta"

 

[The Bread Guy]

Followed in close succession by #2....

The Canada Border Services Agency says tips from the public have led to arrest of a second person suspected of being complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Arshad Muhammad from Pakistan, whose last known address was Montreal, is now in custody, the agency said. He was arrested Saturday in Mississauga, Ont., after a member of Peel Regional Police spotted him in a store.

Muhammad's last known address was Montreal but the federal government lost track of him after he was deemed inadmissible to Canada in 2001 ....

Source:  CBC.ca, 23 Jul 11

2 down, 28 to go - now let's see how long it takes for "the process" to work its way through.

 

[The Bread Guy]

2 down, 28 to go - now let's see how long it takes for "the process" to work its way through.

Make that 3 down, 27 to go:

BREAKING NEWS: Minister Toews will reveal the identity of the 3rd suspected war criminal to be apprehended at 12:40 CST in Winnipeg.

Source:  PM's spokesperson's Twitter feed, 26 Jul 11

 

[The Bread Guy]

Tips and information from the Canadian public have resulted in the capture of one more individual suspected of being complicit in war crimes or crimes against humanity. This update follows the announcement on July 21, 2011 by the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety and the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, urging Canadians to help in identifying 30 individuals suspected of being complicit in war crimes or crimes against humanity, and who are thought to be hiding out in locations across Canada.

The Government reports that tips pouring into the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Border Watch Line as well as law enforcement partners across the country have resulted in the apprehension of one of the individuals named on the CBSA web site. Manuel De La Torre Herrera from Peru was found in the Toronto area and is now in CBSA custody ....

Source:  CBSA statement, 26 Jul 11

 

[The Bread Guy]

Rolling 'em up....

BREAKING NEWS: Ministers Toews & Kenney will reveal the identity of the 4th suspected war criminal to be apprehended. 13:30 in Ottawa

Source:  PMO Twitter feed, 27 Jul 11

 

[cupper]

I'm not surprised that the CBSA has had to resort to this type of contracted out law enforcement. These are the same people who finally decided to let me leave without paying duty on an excess amount of chewing tobacco because they couldn't figure out how to convert ounces to grams.  :

 

[The Bread Guy]

A fourth fugitive whose face was posted online by border authorities has been nabbed.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says Henry Pantoja Carbonel was arrested in Toronto.

He was one of 30 people whose names and faces were posted online by the Canadian Border Services Agency earlier this month.

Carbonel is a 53-year-old Peruvian.

Toews says the website has generated a lot of tips from the public, although he didn't say if the latest arrest was the result of such a tip ....

Source:  The Canadian Press, 27 Jul 11

There are no guarantees that any of the suspected war criminals recently nabbed with the help of an online "wanted" list will actually face justice in their home countries.

Federal ministers said Wednesday Canada simply wants to get rid of the men because their alleged crimes make them inadmissible.

Human rights advocates say the federal government is dodging its responsibilities by deporting — not prosecuting — the suspects.

"Our concern here is that this is furthering a long-established practice in Canada to overwhelmingly make use of our immigration system rather than our criminal justice system in dealing with cases of this sort," said Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada ....

Source:  The Canadian Press, 27 Jul 11

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I'm not surprised that the CBSA has had to resort to this type of contracted out law enforcement. These are the same people who finally decided to let me leave without paying duty on an excess amount of chewing tobacco because they couldn't figure out how to convert ounces to grams.  :

Can that brush get any bigger? :

 

[The Bread Guy]

Some info on how long the process might take, in spite of the quick arrests....

"On August 20, 2007, CIC served its first Notice of Revocation of Citizenship to a person suspected of committing war crimes after the Second World War. Branko Rogan was served the Notice for allegedly obtaining his status in Canada by knowingly making false representations and concealing material circumstances regarding his activities as a guard and dealings with prisoners, in the town of Bileca, Bosnia Herzegovina."

April 2011:  Rogan goes to Federal Court of Canada to seek a reversal of the revocation of his citizenship - more on that here.

Can't find anything saying he's been shown the door just yet - and he admitted to lying to get into Canada (while denying the war crime charges).

 

[J.J]

I'm not surprised that the CBSA has had to resort to this type of contracted out law enforcement. These are the same people who finally decided to let me leave without paying duty on an excess amount of chewing tobacco because they couldn't figure out how to convert ounces to grams.  :

You are complaining because you didn't have to pay??? The taxes would have been quite high, so I guess you got a break. If you would like to pass me your tombstone data I can insure you don't get a break next time and you can pay everything owed....

Almost all major law enforcement agencies have a most wanted list, what are your comments on that?

 

[The Bread Guy]

I'm not surprised that the CBSA has had to resort to this type of contracted out law enforcement.

How is it "contracted out"?  The same players (CBSA, RCMP, CIC, local police) are involved in the process, and the last I heard, these groups are all paid out of taxpayer pockets.

 

[cupper]

You are complaining because you didn't have to pay???

The point I was trying to make, which apparently was lost, was that between the 6 (and I am not exaggerating here) CBSA officers working the counter, not one of them was able to figure out how to convert ounces to grams so they could figure the correct duty I owed. I would expect that there would be at least one officer on staff who was capable of doing simple math, even if it meant looking up on the internet what the conversion was.

It was the lack of competence that pissed me off. The fact that I didn't pay duty was just a bonus. I would expect better form the people who were defending our border.

Remember that these are the same people who when they finally were allowed to carry side arms had a high failure rate on basic firearms training.

 

[cupper]

How is it "contracted out"?  The same players (CBSA, RCMP, CIC, local police) are involved in the process, and the last I heard, these groups are all paid out of taxpayer pockets.

By contracted out, I meant that they were asking the public to do the job that they are being paid to do. Perhaps it was a bit over the top.

 

[J.J]

Remember that these are the same people who when they finally were allowed to carry side arms had a high failure rate on basic firearms training.
[/quote]

I do concede that they should have figured it out, but most of them care very little about collecting taxes anymore, most only do it because they are told to.

I call bullshit on your comment about the firearms program. You are the typical person believing everything the media prints. I taught the first firearm courses and I am still an instructor. The failure rate is similar to the RCMP depot and the Ontario Police College. The course is very difficult and you are taking employees who did not sign on to be armed and they are do as well, if not better than most law enforcement agencies with young recruits who have 4-6 months to learn what CBSA learns in 3 weeks.

By contracted out, I meant that they were asking the public to do the job that they are being paid to do. Perhaps it was a bit over the top.

Here are a few examples of agencies that use most wanted or utilize citizens to report crimes...you may recognize some of the agencies.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/wanted-recherches/index-eng.htm
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/homicide/mostwanted.php
http://www.calgarycrimestoppers.org/
http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/883012--police-show-new-most-wanted-list
http://www.manassascity.org/index.aspx?NID=58

 

[cupper]

I call bullshit on your comment about the firearms program. You are the typical person believing everything the media prints. I taught the first firearm courses and I am still an instructor. The failure rate is similar to the RCMP depot and the Ontario Police College. The course is very difficult and you are taking employees who did not sign on to be armed and they are do as well, if not better than most law enforcement agencies with young recruits who have 4-6 months to learn what CBSA learns in 3 weeks.

Fair enough. I stand corrected.

 

[aesop081]

By contracted out, I meant that they were asking the public to do the job that they are being paid to do. Perhaps it was a bit over the top.

You know, even the most professional police forces often ask the public for help.

 

[Scott]

I come back into Canada via air about every 6 weeks and have done so through Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. Over the last three years that makes for quite a few interactions with CBSA and I have never, not once, found them to be anything but polite, professional and friendly. In fact, I wish some of the folk from the airlines would take a lesson from these people.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I come back into Canada via air about every 6 weeks and have done so through Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. Over the last three years that makes for quite a few interactions with CBSA and I have never, not once, found them to be anything but polite, professional and friendly. In fact, I wish some of the folk from the airlines would take a lesson from these people.

Agreed.  I've been crossing the border south of here 6-8 times a year for the past several years, and I've only had one instance where discretion seemed just a tad unreasonable - a FAR better track record than a lot of agencies who deal with the public.

By contracted out, I meant that they were asking the public to do the job that they are being paid to do. Perhaps it was a bit over the top.

And Canadian enforcement agencies aren't the only ones happy to get info from the public from time to time, either,
http://www.fbi.gov/wanted
http://www.interpol.int/Public/Wanted/Search/Recent.asp

 

[cupper]

This will be my last comment on  this subject, as it appears to have derailed the topic, and I admit that the comment was unfair and painted the larger group with a broad brush.

I am not being critical of the way I was being treated. The entire time I was treated in a friendly, professional manner, as I would expect. I wasn't hassled, made to feel like a criminal, talked down to, or lectured. I was forthright with the fact that I had exceeded the limit by a mistake on my part, and was fully prepared to pay any duty, penalties, etc. that were owed. I understood and accepted that the inconvenience that I was experiencing was part of them doing the job.

Since moving to the US in 2001 I've travelled home to Canada at least once a year, and this was the only time I've had issues entering Canada.
Not so when entering the US, but that has more to say about the differences in attitudes from one country to the other.

The problem I had was that no one at that particular crossing was able to figure out a simple conversion. Something that they need to be able to do day in and day out. It's not like I was the first person to bring goods into Canada from the US which was marked in Imperial measures instead of Metric measures. I have a problem with not being able to do the job you are supposed to be trained to do. It's not like they were having difficulty with figuring out what classification the product fell under in the multiple listings for tobacco types, each with it's own tariff rate. It's not like it was a piece of equipment that could fall into one of a hundred different classifications. They were stumped with a simple conversion, something that they learned through out their entire academic career. They even tried to look it up on the office computer, and couldn't find the correct information.