OTTAWA, ON, March 3, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada has officially launched the Joint Operational Intelligence Cell (JOIC), bringing together Canadian security departments and agencies, and law enforcement partners to better protect Canada's border.
The JOIC was created in response to Canada's Border Plan, specifically as part of the Prime Minister's Directive on Transnational Crime and Border Security. The JOIC will build on existing cooperation mechanisms between law enforcement partners and security agencies to better leverage information sharing to target transnational organized crime, money laundering, drug trafficking and improve border security.
Intelligence representatives from the Royal Canadian Mounted Royal (RCMP), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Public Safety Canada (PS), Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE), Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Health Canada (HC), and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) met on February 24 to work on how to enhance the sharing, disclosure, analysis and actioning of timely intelligence between participating federal security departments and agencies, and sub-national authorities, including law enforcement partners to disrupt trafficking of fentanyl and related transnational organized crime.
The JOIC reinforces Canada's commitment to the border security plan by bringing together an integrated criminal and security intelligence approach to the threat posed by transnational organized crime, including those involved in the fentanyl trade.
Stronger information and intelligence sharing and operational coordination will enable all institutions involved in law enforcement in Canada and the U.S. to better identify, monitor and intercept high-risk individuals and drugs attempting to cross Canada's borders, ultimately improving the safety of all.
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"Strong partnerships and effective information sharing are critical to making sure we intercept people and goods at the border who put the safety of people in Canada at risk. The Joint Operational Intelligence Cell will strengthen our collaboration between law enforcement, and help fight the scourge of fentanyl."
- The Honourable David McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety
Quick Facts
- Through Canada's Border Plan, the Government of Canada is investing $1.3 billion in concrete action to keep communities safe on both side of the border.
- The Border Plan provides $200 million to PS and CSE to support enhanced gathering of intelligence on transnational organized crime and fentanyl, and enable sharing with law enforcement partners across Canada and the United States.
- As part of these efforts, the Prime Minister has issued a new Directive on Transnational Crime and Border Security, which resulted in the establishment of the JOIC. The Directive provides further guidance for a joint operational intelligence cell working on transnational organized crime, money laundering, border security, and drug-trafficking, to facilitate expedient and effective flow of intelligence for use by law enforcement operations in Canada and abroad. Canada's national security, law enforcement, and intelligence community will use the new resources made available through Canada's Border Plan to share actionable intelligence with provincial, territorial and international partners, as required, on organized crime and fentanyl.
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Contacts: Alice Hansen, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613 991-0657, [email protected]
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