Sniffer dog uncovers 40kg of hidden meat in traveller’s luggage at Toronto Airport

A sharp-nosed detector dog with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) intercepted more than 40 kilograms of undeclared meat at Toronto Pearson International Airport, resulting in a hefty fine for a passenger arriving from Nigeria.

The agency announced that Moby, one of its trained detector dogs, alerted officers to a traveller’s luggage during a recent inspection. The baggage was found to contain a large consignment of beef and chicken that had not been declared.

Under Canadian law, all travellers are required to declare any food, plant, or animal products they bring into the country. Because the passenger failed to do so, the CBSA issued a penalty of up to $1,300 and seized the goods.

The agency emphasised that the regulations apply to both raw and cooked meat, as well as dairy products, seafood, and animal by-products. Failure to comply can lead to confiscation, financial penalties, or even prosecution.

“Travellers may not realise the hazards associated with food, plant and animal products,” the CBSA said in a statement, warning that undeclared agricultural goods pose significant risks. These include the potential spread of invasive species and diseases that could harm Canada’s food supply, economy, and public health.

Second Recent Seizure

In a separate incident last month, another detector dog named Dharla found 2.5 kilogrammes of raw meat—including duck, pigeon, chicken, and rabbit—in the luggage of a traveller arriving from Egypt.

Although those items were properly declared, they were still denied entry for failing to meet standards set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. No penalty was issued in that case, but officials reiterated that even declared products must comply with all import requirements.

The CBSA continues to rely on its team of detector dogs as part of an ongoing border enforcement strategy to prevent prohibited or restricted goods from entering the country.