Canada Post employs just 25 federal postal inspectors across the country, limiting the government's ability to stop contraband shipped through the mail, according to newly released documents from the Department of Public Works.Blacklock's Reporter says a June 4 briefing note titled Safety Of The Canadian Postal System said the inspectors are responsible for monitoring the roughly 240 million parcels and two billion letters delivered by Canada Post in 2024. However, the inspectors have limited authority to intercept illegal items — especially when it comes to letters.“Postal inspectors are not authorized to search these letters,” the note said. Under current law, police and inspectors cannot open mail in transit — a rule dating back to Confederation. Inspectors are permitted to search parcels but cannot open letters under 500 grams..A proposed law, Bill C-2 An Act Respecting Certain Measures Relating To The Security Of The Border, would change that. The bill would grant police and postal inspectors new powers to open suspicious mail before it reaches its destination. It also seeks to repeal longstanding legal protections that prevent inspection of letters during transit.The Department of Public Works noted that private couriers such as FedEx are not subject to the same restrictions, and law enforcement already has full authority to search and seize packages shipped through those services.The bill is currently awaiting Second Reading in the House of Commons. A separate June 12 memo to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree stressed the need for broader enforcement powers in the digital age. .“As crime becomes more complex and borderless due to changes in technologies it is increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies to protect Canadians,” the note said.Canada Post itself has acknowledged the use of its system to traffic drugs. In 2022, it told the Commons government operations committee that two thirds of intercepted narcotics were addressed to first nations and remote northern communities. That year, inspectors seized $14.3 million worth of illegal substances including opioids, ecstasy, methamphetamine and other drugs.The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs also called for action, urging the Senate legal and constitutional affairs committee in 2023 to allow First Nations constables to open mail. “Organized criminal groups can exploit this gap with high profitability and relatively low risk and effort,” the group warned, especially in northern areas where mail is often the main distribution method for illegal drugs.
