Canada Border Services agents stopped more than 150 U.S. sex offenders from entering Canada, in part due to a partnership with United States customs, the federal government announced Monday.
In 2014 alone, information provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents helped CBSA agents refuse entry to 59 sex offenders, Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said.
Blaney also announced that 51 “dangerous individuals” have been removed from Canada since 2011, thanks to the “Wanted by the CBSA” program.
The program was launched as a tool to help border officers locate criminals with outstanding deportation orders.
"In this past year alone, more than 30 dangerous criminals were identified and intercepted by the agency thanks to the support of the Canadian population," Blaney told a news conference at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal.
Blaney said Canadians who called a special hotline helped authorities track down people on CBSA’s “wanted” list.
"If we're here, it's to thank the Canadian population for its collaboration in supporting the work of the CBSA in putting its hands on 50 dangerous criminals during the last three years," he said.
With a files from The Canadian Press
