What's even more messed up is one of these agents was already on probation.
Who is hiring these champs? Is anyone screening these bozos before they get this kind of job? Even more evidence that CATSA is crap - when will we get real and sensible security in our airports?
Vancouver Airport security screeners charged with ecstasy conspiracy
METRO VANCOUVER -- Two Vancouver International Airport security screeners and a third man have been charged with attempting to export 14.77 kilograms of ecstasy.
The arrests came after Canada Border Services Agency officers stopped a passenger in the post-security section of the United States departure gates on May 9.
During questioning, the 20-year-old man admitted to carrying drugs in his backpack.
"In the days following the first arrest, an intensive RCMP Border Integrity Program investigation uncovered a conspiracy to export MDMA through Vancouver Airport," said a statement released Thursday by the RCMP. "The conspiracy allegedly involved two uniformed pre-board screening officers working for a company contracted by Canadian Air Transport Security Authority."
Gurvinder Singh Pahl, 24, of Richmond, and Ajitpal Singh Judge, 31, of Surrey, were arrested. They have since been released on bail and will make their next court appearance on June 15. They are each facing charges of trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance, and breach of trust. Pahl is facing an additional charge of failure to comply with a probation order.
Dylan Scott Green of Vancouver has been arrested on charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking and conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance.
I suspect the job interview is something along the lines of, "How many fingers am I holding up?" no wrong answer. "Are you willing to work for this low wage." yes = hired.
I think there's a pre-screen for that. When they phone you for an inteview if you answer the phone in english they hang up or say, "Sorry wrong number."
I think being fluent in languages is a good thing.
Anyway, they sold themselves short... a few thousand bucks worth of ecstasy? I'm sure someone out there could/would pay much more to get other things through security.
What a joke. Good job CBSA - But they should have let the mule go and tipped off US customs to deal with him when he got there - that would be a lesson - and the Americans could foot the court and incarceration costs - maybe even extradite these other winners for conspiracy to smuggle narcotics...
Not that I support the war on drugs, but it's not like this is a surprise. It should be obvious to anyone who interacts with these people that this is going on. Furthermore it should be obvious to anyone that has seen an interview with Yves Duguay that he is concerned not with the travelling public's safety and security, but with making them feel safe.
Inverted, they should get points for being fluent in other languages, particularly when you consider where the actual threats are from. It's the lack of English fluency that is a big problem.
I don't doubt some of those guys are just doing their best and where they came from has nothing to do with it - there are as many/more incompetent born-Canadians running those checkpoints.
Problem is CATSA. The system is a joke and waste of money.
I'm not bashing immigrants. Nearly everyone in Canada is immigrants that's where the two official languages came from. My complaint is you used to have to speak one of those languages to get a job like this. If you can't understand English well enough to get my drive through order I don't want you deported but I want you to get a different job.
What I'd really like all of them to be capable of, regardless of their provenance, is the ability to READ one of the official languages. Far too often I've had to pull out a security notice and make them read it 3 or 4 times over while explaining it.
The don't smuggle drugs part is an entirely different problem, but I suspect if they hired people who had the ability to do the above, we wouldn't be having that problem.
As much as I detest the TSA, CATSA is by far much worse to deal with. Especially in YVR. I could write a book on the shenanigans of them alone. (as well could)
However; YHZ and YEG aren't on my shitlist yet. They're not too bad to deal with.
Just thinking of YVR CATSA is boiling my blood.
---------- ADS -----------
Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
Semper Fidelis
“De inimico non loquaris male, sed cogites"-
Do not wish death for your enemy, plan it.
Honestly, I couldn't care less where they are from. Canadian, immigrant, no difference.
But God help me if I can't keep a straight face while I get screened by one of these apes in ANY airport. I'm taking full advantage of this to get out my "opinion" out to each and every clown that makes sure I don't take my bottle of ecstasy, I mean water through security.
Game on bitches.....
rigpiggy wrote:Explain to me why pilots get the rubber glove treatment at pretty much every checkpoint, yet these folks get to bypass
Because these people are highly skilled and trusted cogs in the security wheel. Pilots aren't.
...and because since 9/11, any attempted terrorist act on an aircraft, has been stopped by PASSENGERS! TSA, I can deal with, CATSA, I have no time for. Conversation, if any, usually goes like this..."CATSA person: "how are you today", ME: "fine, until now"!
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