Meng's border exam was necessary: officer

A senior border officer involved in the examination of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver's airport two years ago says he has never seen a customs and immigration exam deferred to allow for a quick arrest.

Supt. Sanjit Dhillon says he would not have authorized the immediate execution of the provisional arrest warrant by the RCMP in the case because there were outstanding national security and criminality concerns about Meng.

He was the most senior Canada Border Services Agency officer on duty in the airport's secondary screening section on Dec. 1, 2018, the day Meng was questioned and arrested.

Dhillon continued his testimony today at the B.C. Supreme Court in an evidentiary hearing in Meng's extradition case.

Meng's lawyers are gathering evidence that they hope will support an argument they will make beginning in February that Canadian officials unlawfully sought to gather evidence against her under the guise of a routine immigration exam.

Meng is wanted on charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud in the United States based on allegations that she and Huawei deny.