CBSA in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories: Highlights from 2025

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 10, 2025 /CNW/ -

Backgrounder

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) highlights results and accomplishments in the province of Manitoba for the period between January 1 and October 31, 2025.

Overview

The CBSA plays a critical role supporting the economy and security of Canada. We enforce laws at our border to protect Canada and facilitate the flow of travellers and goods to keep our economy strong. We intercept illegal drugs, guns, and weapons and prevent them from entering or leaving the country. We remove people who should not be in Canada, including those involved in terrorism, organized crime, and war crimes. We promote Canadian business by administering trade legislation and agreements and collect applicable duties and taxes on imported goods.

The CBSA operates from over 25 sites across the province of Manitoba and provides services in the Northwest Territories, where officers welcome travellers and cargo at Tuktoyaktuk Airport, and operate customs offices in Inuvik and Yellowknife.

A strong border: CBSA activities in Manitoba to protect Canadians and keep communities safe

The CBSA serves as Canada's first line of defense by preventing illegal weapons and illicit substances from entering our communities.

Key statistics for Manitoba

• 341 illegal narcotic seizures, including:
• 0.13 kg of methamphetamines
• 1.05 kg of cocaine
• 2.18 kg of opioids
• 2.28 kg of illegal cannabis
• 55 firearms and prohibited items seizures, including:
• 20 firearms
• 372 Miscellaneous parts for firearms or magazines
• 855 prohibited weapons
• 45 prohibited devices
• $394,722 in currency seizures and suspected to be proceeds of crime, compared to $123,393 seized last year
• 6 arrests of impaired drivers
• 47 detector dog searches for prohibited drugs and firearms
• 4 Agriculture and Agri-Food Administrative Monetary Penalties (AAAMP) issued for food, plant and animal import violations totaling $5,200 in penalties

Activity highlights for Manitoba

• In January 2025, as a result of a CBSA investigation, Curtis Waldner of Forest, Manitoba, was sentenced to three years imprisonment for firearms-related offences. He was also sentenced to a lifetime firearms and weapons possession ban (for restricted and prohibited classifications) and a 10-year firearms and weapons possession ban for all classifications. The successful investigation, led by CBSA's Integrated Firearms Enforcement Team in Manitoba, began after border services officers at Vancouver International Airport's Air Cargo operations intercepted a shipment from China addressed to Waldner's residence that was found to contain 10 firearm suppressors.
• In June 2025, after pleading guilty to multiple firearms-related offences, Robert Ripcik, a 57-year-old resident of Beausejour, Manitoba, was sentenced to five years imprisonment. The CBSA investigation into Ripcik began after officers at the Winnipeg Land Commercial office intercepted items related to the manufacture of ghost guns. Following a search of a rural property in Manitoba, officers seized additional items including prohibited and restricted firearms, firearms parts, and devices used in the manufacturing of ghost guns. The CBSA Integrated Firearms Enforcement Team, with assistance from the Winnipeg Police Service, the RCMP and Manitoba Conservation, led the complex investigation that resulted in Ripcik's conviction.
• In April 2025, as a result of a two-year CBSA investigation, Gurwinder Singh Ahluwalia, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized employment of foreign nationals and was sentenced to 20-months house arrest and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine. The CBSA Criminal Investigations Section in Manitoba began an investigation into Ahluwalia after receiving information about the employment and mistreatment of unauthorized workers at a local construction site. CBSA executed search warrants that resulted in the seizure of multiple electronic devices and physical documents. The documentation revealed that Ahluwalia lured foreign nationals to Canada to work without authorization and underpaid workers who had valid work permits.
• In October 2025, CBSA officers at Emerson port of entry seized three undeclared, prohibited firearms and magazines from U.S. travellers seeking entry into Canada in two separate incidents. In both cases, the travellers paid a penalty and were denied entry into Canada.
• CBSA Trade officers in Manitoba conducted a tax status verification on a company from Brampton, Ontario, targeting various imported food items. The imported goods were found to not qualify for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) exemption, which allows GST relief for basic groceries. Following the CBSA's determination, the company was assessed $1.5 million in GST and over $200,000 interest for a total of $1.71 million.

Facilitating the flow of travellers into Canada

In the province of Manitoba, the CBSA:

• welcomed more than 1.2 million travellers
• conducted 4,041 NEXUS interviews to support trusted travellers
• processed 146 asylum applications as of November 30, 2025. By the same date last year, the Agency had processed 169 asylum applications in Manitoba.

Supporting the economy

The CBSA's work helps keep Canada's trade routes open, ensuring that our economy remains strong and responsive to the needs of Canadians.

In the province of Manitoba, border services officers:

• Processed approximately 214,548 commercial trucks.
• Processed 2.6 million courier shipments.
• Assessed over $1.8 billion in duties and taxes.
• Assessed over $6.9 billion in value for duty for trusted traders.

Quotes

"I have visited CBSA officers at ports of entry across the country and seen up close their commitment and dedication. I have also seen the enthusiasm of the newest cohort of CBSA graduates as we begin to hire the 1,000 new border officers we promised. I want to thank all those who work for the CBSA for their extraordinary work this past year and for all they do to protect our communities and support our economy. We are continuing to bolster these efforts by hiring more officers and investing in our Border Plan to keep Canadians safe."
               – The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety

"I cannot overstate the importance of the work CBSA officers do each and every day.  Their vigilance in intercepting fentanyl and other illicit substances before they reach our communities has had a profound impact on the safety of all Canadians.  As a vital part of Canada's enforcement ecosystem, their work with partners helps stop harm before it starts.  I thank them for their professionalism and the very real role they play in saving lives, strengthening our borders, and reinforcing the trust of Canadians."
               – Kevin Brosseau, Canada's Fentanyl Czar

"CBSA officers stand on guard for Canada every hour of every day. They work diligently to protect our communities and our prosperity. In 2025, the CBSA stopped transnational organized crime networks at our front door, found foreign companies that undervalue their goods and charged them, and stopped and removed inadmissible foreign nationals who try to come to Canada under false pretenses. And we are gearing up to do the same and more in 2026."
               – Erin O'Gorman, President, Canada Border Services Agency

National results

For an overview of 2025 CBSA results and accomplishments across Canada:

• National 2025 CBSA year in review news release
• National 2025 CBSA year in review "Accomplishments by the numbers" 

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SOURCE Canada Border Services Agency