With a heightened emphasis in recent months on gun control and laws surrounding firearms in Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency announced Wednesday that officials have made “two significant seizures” of ghost guns in B.C.
“We’re taking action to keep Canadians safe from gun violence,” said Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety.
“‘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.”
The investigation began in B.C.’s Interior at a number of international mail centres, when officials identified firearms parts arriving in the mail.
“These cases started when border services officers, in Vancouver and in Toronto, identified firearms parts arriving by international mail,” the Canada Border Services Agency said in a release.
“This information led the CBSA’s Criminal Investigations Section to further investigate the people importing the firearms parts.”“
Evidence led investigators to a home in West Kelowna on April 27, where they found a 3D-printing machine in action, creating an illegal lower-receiver for a handgun.
Along with seizing six more handgun receivers with no serial numbers, police arrested a 46-year-old man connected to the investigation.
The next day, investigators conducted a search warrant in Lumby, B.C., where they arrested a 27-year old man who was previously prohibited from possessing firearms.
Officials seized a loaded 9mm handgun with no serial number, nine non-restricted long guns, a prohibited knife, a stun gun and four canisters of ammunition.
In Canada, it is illegal to make guns without a proper firearms business licence.