Richmond Provincial Court fined a Vancouver resident for possessing five unlawfully imported Rolex watches.
Yan Tao Zhao was returning from China last October when she declared $500 worth of clothing to customs. Upon further investigation, customs officers found four empty Rolex boxes and eventually the four watches plus one on her wrist.
"We follow a risk management approach," said Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spokesperson Stefanie Wudel, in response to why Zhao was searched in the first place. "We have trained officials in investigation and monitoring techniques."
Officers seized the watches, valued at $50,185.95 in total, and Zhao has been fined $5,000 for failing to declare goods upon arrival, under Section 155 of the Customs Act. If she wishes to get the watches back, she has to pay an additional penalty of more than $15,000.
"If she had declared the watches in the first place, she would have only had to pay $8,955.65 in duties and taxes," said Wudel. "Now she has to pay over $20,000 in the fine and the penalty."
Wudel urges people to declare all their purchases.
Since July 31, CBSA has seized 171 items of jewelry or watches, worth a total of $1,738,239.
