SASKATOON - RCMP are investigating following a seizure of prohibited firearms in Saskatoon, related to an illegal border crossing.
Around 9 p.m., Jan. 6, the RCMP’s Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET), part of RCMP Federal Policing, Northwest Region, was notified by the United States Border Patrol (USBP) that a person illegally crossed into Saskatchewan from Montana, United States, in a remote area south of Val Marie. The person then re-entered the United States illegally in the same location soon after and drove away in a truck. The vehicle was stopped by USBP officers, and two adult male occupants were arrested.
While the arrests took place, RCMP IBET and Ponteix RCMP Detachment police officers conducted a search of the area in Saskatchewan where the crossing occurred. The officers located and seized a box containing a pistol that is prohibited in Canada.
Investigation determined the two adult males – Canadian citizens - entered the United States legally in early January at a designated port of entry. The males are not facing charges in the United States at this time. The males were returned to Canada and processed by Canadian Border Services Agency before being arrested by the RCMP on Jan. 7.
Continued investigation included the execution of a search warrant at a residence on 9 Avenue North in Saskatoon on Jan. 8.
Upon entry to the residence, RCMP officers found quantities of chemicals/compounds in several different locations and required the assistance of the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Explosives Disposal Unit and RCMP and Saskatoon Police Service’s Clandestine Lab experts to dispose of them safely.
Materials were seized and sent to Health Canada for further analysis. Also seized from the residence were four firearms, two of which are prohibited in Canada, and approximately 500 rounds of ammunition.
A 19-year-old man from Calgary, Alta., and 19-year-old man, from Saskatoon, are both charged with:
- Possession of a firearm without a licence;
- Possession of prohibited devices without a licence;
- Unauthorized import a firearm into Canada;
- Smuggle into Canada, clandestinely, a firearm, the importation of which is prohibited, controlled or regulated under the Customs Act or any other Act of Parliament.
This investigation remains ongoing and additional charges may result. They will both appear in Swift Current Provincial Court next on Feb. 12.
“This is an excellent example of how collaboration and pro-active action can quickly develop into a significant investigation involving many agencies and span across borders and communities. It highlights how vital policing relationships are in disrupting criminal activity and keeping the public safe on both sides of the Canadian-U.S. border,” stated Superintendent Andrew Farquhar with RCMP Federal Policing, Northwest Region in Saskatchewan, in the media release.
Assisting the RCMP’s Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET), RCMP Federal Policing, Northwest Region, with this investigation is Ponteix RCMP Detachment, Saskatchewan RCMP Explosive Disposal Unit and Saskatchewan RCMP and Saskatoon Police Service’s Clandestine Lab teams, Canadian Border Services Agency and United States Border Patrol.
