2,100 Cuban cigars uncovered by dog at Toronto Pearson Airport

A Canada border services detector dog recently sniffed out some 2,100 Cuban cigars that were being brought into the country by a traveller who’d just arrived at Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga from the Caribbean.

The Canada Border Services Agency said on Friday detector dog Aggie uncovered the undeclared cigars while checking the baggage of passengers who’d arrived on a recent flight from Cuba.

The person who was travelling with the tobacco goods was detained and the cigars were seized by authorities, the agency added.

The CBSA did not say when, specifically, the flight arrived at Pearson nor did it reveal if the traveller was fined.

Border services officials remind travellers they must, by law, declare certain goods/amount of goods when entering Canada. Fines of up to $1,300 can be issued for those who fail to do so, the agency noted.

Detector dogs kept busy at Canada’s biggest airport

The incident is the latest in a number of similar seizures involving detector dogs at Pearson and publicized by the CBSA so far in 2026.

A spokesperson for the federal agency told INsauga.com earlier this year the CBSA “continuously tries to raise awareness regarding the need to declare items when entering Canada.”

All travellers are subject to CBSA examinations and “are required to make accurate and truthful declarations when entering Canada,” the spokesperson said. “Highlighting seizures done by CBSA detector dogs is another effort to raise awareness and remind travellers of this.”

In addition to the Cuban cigars, other goods — some declared, most not — intercepted by the team of well-trained CBSA detector dogs at Pearson this year include sausages, salami and butter in addition to stashes of raw beef, chicken, duck, pigeon and rabbit.

The dogs are also trained to detect “a wide range of contraband such as drugs, guns, money (in addition to) food, plant and animal products,” the CBSA said.

#DetectorDog Jerry intercepted over 5 kg of undeclared sausage, salami, and butter from a traveller arriving in the #GTA from Germany. The traveller was fined CA$650 and the goods were seized. #BeAwareAndDeclare: https://t.co/5e83PT86zz pic.twitter.com/qaLuVR9Tcc

— Canada Border Services Agency (@CanBorder) April 16, 2026

CBSA detector dogs work alongside their handlers at Canada’s biggest and busiest airport in addition to other airports across the country. The border services agency said it cannot disclose the number of dogs on duty at any given time at the airports.

The canine law enforcement officers “are trained to detect and sit beside the source of the odour to indicate possible prohibited items to their handler,” the CBSA told INsauga.com earlier.

Previously, according to an online description of the detector dog program, all dogs were trained to scratch, dig, bite and bark at the source of a contraband odour.

“Today, the primary method of training is for dogs to give a subtle signal to their handler when detecting contraband,” the CBSA said.

#DetectorDog Moby intercepted over 40 kg of undeclared beef and chicken in the #GTA, found in a traveller's luggage arriving from Nigeria. The food products were seized and the traveller was fined. Be aware and declare: https://t.co/lA5RHWJEFu pic.twitter.com/JuHk1MgkqQ

— Canada Border Services Agency (@CanBorder) April 9, 2026

The agency added its canine officers “are highly trained and are evaluated regularly throughout their careers with the Canada Border Services Agency.”

The dogs and their officers play an important role in the detection of prohibited and regulated goods entering Canada, according to the agency, by:

• Increasing opportunities to intercept drugs, guns, money, and food, plant and animal products.
• Discouraging smugglers, while educating Canadians about the CBSA’s innovative enforcement approaches.
• Helping border services officers simplify searches.
• Reducing screening times for passengers, luggage and commercial shipments.

“Dog teams also help other law enforcement agencies with search warrants for drugs, guns and money,” the CBSA said, adding it uses all types of dog breeds, including Labrador Retrievers and Beagles, to detect contraband.

Typically, according to the agency, detector dogs:

• Are 11 to 16 months old when training begins.
• Live with their handlers.
• Travel in air-conditioned vehicles.
• Work for eight to 10 years before retiring and living with their handlers or in a home arranged by their handlers.

#DetectorDog Dharla sniffed out over 22 kg of raw duck, pigeon, chicken, and rabbit in the #GTA, found in a traveller's luggage arriving from Egypt. Learn more about declaring food, plant, and animal products: https://t.co/JzIurTTNSc pic.twitter.com/YVholl7gVY

— Canada Border Services Agency (@CanBorder) March 16, 2026

Detector dog teams receive “intensive training” at the CBSA College in Rigaud, Québec before being deployed to airports and other locations across the country.

The CBSA noted it also trains dogs from Correctional Service Canada and many other domestic and international policing agencies worldwide.

“Handlers learn to care for and train their dogs at the CBSA College where the animals learn to understand their new working environment,” the agency said. “The CBSA maintains very high standards for its dogs. Only one of 10 dogs evaluated is accepted.”

Once dogs go on duty, an assessor evaluates every dog team annually to ensure they’re working effectively, the CBSA said.

Formerly known as Canada Customs, the Canada Border Services Agency began using detector dogs in 1978 “to help frontline officers with a more effective method of detecting drugs and firearms.”

In January 2005, the Detector Dog Service expanded to include food, plant and animal detector dog teams from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.