Halifax police receive police 'no thank you' to offer of help to Border Services Agency

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HALIFAX - Canada's border security agency rejected an offer from Halifax police to dust for fingerprints in a bus aboard a ship where stowaways were hidden, the city's deputy police chief says.

The four stowaways, believed to be from Algeria, managed to get off the ship March 16, eluding a guard at the Cerescorp container terminal in Halifax. They then took a taxi to Truro, N.S. -- a 105-kilometre trip -- before they were arrested.

"When the incident unfolded, the staff sergeant in charge of the port was on scene, and informed the CBSA, who were also there, that it would be appropriate ... that forensic work should also be done along the lines of fingerprints," Deputy Police Chief Tony Burbridge, said. "We were informed by CBSA that this wouldn't be necessary ... As a result, we didn't have any way to force our way on the bus to do the work."

The veteran police officer said the goal was to confirm the identity of the four individuals who had been arrested, and to determine whether other stowaways had been on the bus.

"You like to match all the prints with the people in custody," Burbridge said. "It would be a thorough investigation to go through and take all of the prints."

Jennifer Morrison, a spokeswoman for the federal agency, said she couldn't confirm details of the investigation, but she said the agency was confident it gathered the necessary evidence.