A federal audit is raising alarm over lax controls at the Canada Border Services Agency, revealing that seized contraband — including cash and narcotics worth hundreds of millions — has been poorly tracked and managed.Auditors said the agency’s handling of seized goods “creates an increased opportunity for misappropriation” and called for stricter oversight. Blacklock's Reporter said the report, titled Audit Of The Management Of Seized Goods And Currency, found persistent gaps in how confiscated items are logged, stored, and disposed of.Last year, border agents and airport officers reported 62,055 seizures. While currency seizures are supposed to be centrally tracked, 25% of deposits reviewed by auditors did not match recorded amounts. .“We cannot state with certainty that these discrepancies are the result of human error versus asset misappropriation or loss,” the report warned.Other contraband, including firearms and alcohol, is to be held in secure storage and eventually sent to bonded warehouses for destruction. Auditors found 24% of seized items in storage were either unlogged or inaccurately documented. Narcotics sent to the RCMP for disposal also faced oversight issues, with 11% of shipments not properly reconciled from delivery to receipt..“Once seized goods are in the storage area, there is little to no guidance or oversight of how this inventory should be managed while under the agency’s care,” the report said. “Limited visibility nationally leaves the agency vulnerable to misappropriation, loss, or damage of goods.”The report did not assign a current dollar value to last year’s seizures, but past disclosures show that annual cash seizures alone totaled $521 million. Auditors say the ongoing lack of control leaves Canadians exposed to the risk of billions in confiscated property being mishandled.
