171 kg of cocaine, 672 weapons seized at Southern Ont. border in 2017

CBSA agents at border crossings in southern Ontario made 1,653 drug seizures, confiscated 235 firearms and stopped 100 drinking or drug impaired drivers — all in the past year.

• Canadian border officers have busy year nabbing drunk drivers, confiscating weapons

The region, which includes Windsor, Sarnia, London, Fort Erie and Niagara Falls, processed just under 25 million travellers between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2017.

Here's a snapshot of what kept CBSA agents busy in 2017.

• 1,653 drug seizures (including 171.5 kg of cocaine);

• 235 seized firearms;

• 672 seized prohibited weapons;

• 9,444 litres of seized alcohol;

• 245 tobacco product seizures;

• 5 child pornography seizures;

• 10 suspected proceeds of crime, seizures valued at $228,438;

• intercepted 100 drinking or drug impaired drivers;

• arrested 23 persons breaching court imposed conditions;

• arrested 26 people for other criminality;

• 1,172 individuals were removed from Canada;

• 5 children reunited with their legal guardians.

"These numbers exemplify the excellent work done daily by CBSA officers in the Southern Ontario Region," stated Rick Comerford, Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, in a media release. "These individuals work diligently to protect the safety and security of Canadians."

The CBSA also highlighted five standout interceptions from the year:

• 30 bricks of cocaine were found hidden in a concealed compartment of a truck on the Ambassador Bridge on Dec. 27.
• The CBSA and London police teamed up to arrest a London man for importing fentanyl on May 30.
• 30 kilograms of cocaine was discovered hidden inside a commercial load at the Ambassador Bridge on Sept. 22.
• 11 foreign nationals were found hiding behind the curtain in the sleeper section of a truck on Sept. 21.
• 50 kilograms of cocaine were stopped at the Queenston Bridge in November.