Customs Officer Interaction with Traveler

You packed them yourself?

Yep.

Today, a CBSA officer verifies the declaration of a Canadian returning from Jamaica.

What did you bring back with you? You wrote $15.

I bring back cane and cashew.

Okay. And that's it?

Yep.

My primary concern is to look for anything that he may not have declared.

So what did you go to Jamaica for?

I have a child there and a business.

Okay. What kind of business are you in?

I'm trying to build up a house so I can leave this place.

What do you do here in Canada?

I do construction.

Okay.

Do you know this guy over here? Is he a friend of yours?

You kind of looked at him when you walked by.

Why? Because he's black?

No, you just looked at him. So I was wondering if he's a friend of yours.

I think that's a very messed up question to ask somebody.

No, you looked at him as you walked by.

I look at you to do I know you? Do you know me?

No, but...

Okay, so continue to do your job, man.

Okay.

You just search me.

That's a yes or no question.

The question is irrelevant to what you're doing.

Somebody in the back there asked me to come here because they think something's in the suitcase.

You find it's there.

Yes, but it's a relevant question for myself.

Okay, so continue. Don't ask me about that guy. I don't know him. I don't care about him.

Okay, that's all I want to know.

He appears to be very irate that he's getting his bag searched.

That's your sugarcane can?

I found some sugarcane which he had properly declared.

I also did an ion swap test on his luggage.

Give me one second.

Which searches for narcotics.

Have you been around any narcotics lately?

Nope.

No?

Never been around it. Don't care about it.

So what would the reason why it's hitting for narcotics?

I have no answer to you.

No answer?

I'm asking you some questions.

I need to ask you questions to do my job.

Listen.

He's refusing to answer my questions.

This to me is an indicator that he may be hiding something.

Why are you so angry?

Hey, calm down.

You just insult my intelligence.

I'm saying to you.

Do your job.

I am doing my job.

Do a small question. Do your job.

Supervisor in there know who I am.

Okay.

So call him.

Call him and let him be easier for you.

Get him for some idiot.

Call him. Call supervisor.

Sure. I will call my supervisor.

At this point the traveler refuses to answer any more of my questions.

To me this is an indicator that he is being evasive and trying to hide something from me.

Superintendent, tell this judge to stop here.

Do his job and leave me alone.

I was pulled over by one of your officers in the front.

For no reason at all.

My son lives in Jamaica.

I've been outside Jamaica.

Traveler is quite angry at this point,

and he feels that we've disrespected him,

and it's my job to de-escalate

and find out where his anger is coming from.

I buy my ticket, so I'm tapping to go to Jamaica.

So when he come here, he's ask me,

well, I'm looking at the guy over there, eh?

I feel insulted.

Now you're insulting me, sir.

I'm not yelling at you.

My officer is not-

Your officer put me in a mood right now,

you took him and took me to get.

He put me in a mood right now,

you can't take me out of it,

because he's unprofessional.

He's unprofessional, I'm gonna be reckless to him too.

Sir, all you have to do is answer truthfully

my officer's questions about your trip outside of Canada.

You can ask me, ask my agent, ask me.

He can't get an answer from me,

because he's very disrespectful to me just now.

Sir, we do not change officers.

This officer called you up.

It's your job to answer truthfully the questions.

This is not that difficult a process.

It's gonna be difficult, because I don't like him.

Let's go.

I'll show you what I'm made of.

I'll show you what I'm made of.

I don't need to show me what you're made of, sir.

While the supervisor continues to calm the traveler,

the examining officer x-rays his luggage.

Looks good.

Despite the drug hit,

the traveler isn't carrying anything illegal.

He's calmed down.

He wants to go see his family,

which was an important point that he mentioned to me

so that I could tell him to de-stress.

All right, we good now?

All right, sir.

Perfect.

You go have yourself a good day.

It just got crazy.

The supervisor come and he explained to me,

kind of tone it down, and it's okay.

15 a good job.

All right, take care.

Have a good night.

Thank you.