A Canada-wide alert for an armed and dangerous criminal yesterday sparked a work refusal by customs officers at two of Ontario's busiest crossings.

Close to 200 Canada Customs officers at Windsor's Ambassador Bridge and Detroit Tunnel and the Sarnia Blue Water Bridge walked off the job for most of the day citing safety concerns, their union said.

The officers claimed they didn't have the proper equipment to arrest a U.S. thug, who was reportedly trying to flee to Canada.

Customs officers have been arguing for some time they need guns.

"About 100% of the members of one shift refused to work," said Marie-Claire Coupal, president of the Customs Excise Union in Windsor. "We are not armed but are looking for someone who is armed and dangerous."

Traffic and commercial trucks with just-in-time deliveries faced delays of up to 30 minutes at crossings yesterday as managers and officers were brought in to perform front-line inspections.

"We don't expect any abnormal delays," said Dan Yen of the Canada Border Services Agency. "The integrity of the border will be maintained."