Two Okanagan men were arrested and released earlier this year after collecting parts to make ‘ghost guns’.
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced on Wednesday (Aug. 3) that two instances of ‘ghost guns’ were found after investigating firearm parts arriving at international mail centres. These two cases were opened when identified firearm parts arrived in both Vancouver and Toronto internationally.
A ‘ghost gun’ is when pieces of firearms are 3D-printed and both together to create a gun with no serial number.
When the CBSA Criminal Investigation Section looked into the people ordering the firearms parts, they discovered two unlicensed Okanagan men were involved, one from West Kelowna and one from Lumby.
On April 27, the CBSA executed a search warrant for the West Kelowna man and found him in the middle of 3D-printing the lower receiver of a handgun. The team seized all evidence, which included six more already printed handgun receivers without serial numbers. The 46-year-old man was arrested and later released pending further investigation.
The next day, a 27-year-old man from Lumby was arrested for possessing firearms after a loaded 9mm shotgun with no serial number, nine non-restricted handguns, one stun gun, four canisters of ammunition and one prohibited knife were found. The man was later released, also pending further investigation.
After these two incidents, the CBSA is reviewing the evidence for violations of the Criminal Code and Customs Act. Anyone who is convicted of creating firearms with proper licensing or authorization can face time in prison.
“‘Ghost guns’ pose a serious risk to our communities for many reasons including they are becoming easier to manufacture and difficult to trace when used by criminals. That’s why we are continuing to invest in new x-ray technology and K-9 units to protect our borders,” said Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety
Since January 1, 2019, the Pacific Region of the CBSA has seized 581 firearms in ports of entry in international mail, and an additional 218 from executing search warrants.
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