Canadian border guards’ inability to revoke the Nexus memberships of travellers caught breaking federal money laundering and terrorism laws is creating “difficulties” at crossings, documents obtained by the Citizen under federal access to information laws show.
The federal government grants travellers access to Nexus and similar programs if they pose a low risk of breaking the country’s laws when crossing the border. The program is designed remove people like this from lineups to allow guards to focus on those more likely to pose a security problem.
But border guards are finding their hands are tied in getting travellers they’ve found breaking certain laws out of the system and back into the more heavily-scrutinized lanes, according to a memo dated October 2011 and authored by the federal govern-ment department responsible for border security.
“The current lack of legislative authority is also causing difficulties when it comes to seizures under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) and its regulations,” the Canada Border Services Agency memo reads.