A man packing a large quantity of condoms, an 8mm video camera and a list of massage parlours was among several people turned away at local border crossings last week.

According to officials with the Canada Border Services Agency, the U.S. citizen told guards July 6 that he was heading north to spend 10 days in Vancouver. His travel accessories – found during a search prompted by the discovery of a 1989 hit-and-run charge in California – also included several erased videos and a Polaroid camera and film.

The man was counselled to provide records of what happened with the hit-and-run charges as well as proof of residency and employment, and sent on his way.

Others denied entry to Canada include a man planning to car shop who confirmed he molested his daughter-in-law; and, a driver who smelled of marijuana who claimed he was heading to a funeral but couldn't say when the woman had died or provide her last name.

The latter's ID tested positive for cocaine. He was travelling with two Canadians, both of whom were carrying large sums of cash.

An RCMP canine team was called to assist Integrated Border Enforcement Team members July 7, after a northbound man listed as missing sped backwards from the port's turn-around lane.

The man had been referred for a secondary exam and denied entry after questioning determined he had no specific destination in mind and didn't know anyone in Canada.

The man's family was contacted and his vehicle moved to the turn-around lane in preparation for his return to the States. But after receiving his ID, the man threw his vehicle in reverse and fled into Canada.

Police were called and an IBET officer nearby was able to follow the man towards Langley. The man parked on a gravel road at 8 Avenue and 195 Street and fled into the bushes on foot.

He was located by the canine team and taken to Surrey cells.

An 18-year-old man who told guards he was en route to visit the 16-year-old Internet girlfriend he has never met was also turned back at the border that day. The man, who planned to stay in Canada for two months, had no contact information for the girl or her parents.

Reached by border officials, the girl's mother said she could not send the money the young man would need to stay in Canada.

He was sent back with notice to either get the funds he needed in order or provide proof he would be supported on his visit.

A couple of aspiring musicians who told guards they might "jump on stage and play a song" were turned away from both local border crossings Friday (July 10).

The pair were first denied entry at the Douglas border, after a check of the driver revealed recent reckless driving and possession of marijuana convictions. The driver said the pot was in his car, but that it wasn't his. He couldn't explain who it belonged to, where it came from or how it got in his car, CBSA officials said.

The pair were sent on their way, but turned up a short while later at the Pacific Highway border, seeking permits to overcome inadmissibility. One of the two claimed he had no convictions on his record; the one conviction that did show was not him, he told officials.

The man changed his tune about the mistaken identity claim when told a permit would not be issued.

For the second time in a week, a medical issue prompted border guards to call 911.

July 10, two officers who intercepted a vehicle being driven erratically near the NEXUS booth were asked by the driver to call an ambulance for her mother, who was having difficulty breathing.

The officers called 911 and gave first aid. Paramedics transported the senior to Peace Arch Hospital for suspected pneumonia.

Others turned back at the border included an Arkansas man with a 1981 conviction for child molestation (July 11); three U.S. citizens looking to camp in the Whistler area who linked to charges ranging from resisting arrest to assault (July 11); a man driving from Florida to visit friends in Nelson who he hadn't had contact with in more than six months (July 11); and two individuals who met through Craigslist to ride-share (July 10).

In the latter case, 11 cartons of undeclared cigarettes were found in the vehicle's spare tire and centre console. One of the two, a U.S. citizen, admitted to smuggling the smokes, and told officers he did the same every week when he visits his girlfriend. He said he typically gets passengers he meets through Craigslist to declare the cigarettes under their exemption.