Police in Edmonton have seized a prohibited MAC-10 submachine gun.
The seizure was made by Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ organized crime unit.
Officers reportedly witnessed a man leaving a north Edmonton residence that has been associated with drug trafficking, ALERT said in a news release on Friday.
The man was carrying what a police spokesperson described as a weighted duffel bag. The MAC-10 was found inside that bag.
“A MAC-10 is an anomaly, certainly not something you’d usually find in Edmonton,” ALERT spokesperson Mike Tucker said. “It’s of great concern for everyone.”
The MAC-10 was equipped with a silencer and police also reported finding prohibited extra-capacity magazines.
The gun has a fire rate of 1,200 rounds per minute and is prohibited in both Canada and the United States.
“That’s jaw dropping,” Tucker said. “We’re talking about Miami Vice, Grand Theft Auto, but this isn’t a video game. This is real community risk. This is people’s lives in danger.”
The MAC-10 was one of three guns found in the vehicle, according to police: officers also seized a Mossberg 22-caliber rifle and a Glock handgun with a silencer attached.
“Under any circumstances, this is a dangerous weapon to have circulating on city streets,” acting Insp. Blayne Eliuk said. “ALERT’s investigators, in lockstep with our colleagues at the Edmonton Police Service, will remain relentless in our efforts to dismantle organized crime and reduce community harm.”
All of the weapons have been sent for ballistics testing.
Two people are now facing a total of 18 firearms-related offences. Abdullah Fuad Kalouti, 25, was arrested and charged on April 28 and Zaher El-Mais, 29, was arrested and charged on April 14.
Kalouti is also facing one count of possession.
It’s the second time in as many days the media learned of a machine gun being seized in Edmonton.
On Thursday, the Edmonton Police Service issued a news release saying more than $500,000 worth of drugs and an automatic machine gun had been seized.
Tucker said it doesn’t appear the two investigations are linked, other than both seemingly being related to the drug trade.
ALERT does not know how the MAC-10 was brought into Edmonton, but Tucker said its likely it was smuggled in from the U.S. Identifying how the gun was acquired will be part of the investigation, he said.