OTTAWA - An internal federal audit says court cases against accused criminals could be tossed out because of improper control and handling of seized goods — from drugs to firearms — by Canada's border agency.
Auditors found almost half of Canada Border Services Agency storage facilities did not meet the agency's physical security standards.
Confiscated drugs and firearms that had not been properly disabled were openly displayed.
Three in every five of the storage sites visited did not continuously monitor access to seized items.
The audit report says a high level of control is needed as the goods could be required as evidence for prosecutions.
Overall, the review found the border agency had made only minimal progress since a similar audit was conducted in 2009.
