RCMP: at least three guns in haul were illegally trafficked
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Scott McMurchy said at a news conference Monday that the seizure followed a months-long investigation that began in March, when authorities were notified of firearms charges in the United States against a different Dauphin-area man. That probe led RCMP to find and seize firearms allegedly purchased by Mark that police said were “never lawfully transferred.”
At least three of the 439 firearms are believed to have been illegally trafficked, and one firearm had its serial number tampered with, officials said. RCMP Cpl. Barry Kirby, the lead investigator, described Mark as a gun collector but said investigators have not established a motive.
“We know he’s a firearm collector, but that’s really all that we know,” Kirby said.
Police also seized an antique cannon, a quantity of ammunition, and C$300,000 in cash from the residence, located near the western Manitoba city of Dauphin.
“The illegal trafficking of prohibited weapons is a serious offence that threatens public safety,” McMurchy said. “We thank the many RCMP officers who are working on this case for their tireless efforts in targeting individuals who are trafficking these dangerous and illegal weapons and bringing them to justice.”
Mark, who represented the Dauphin area in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2010 as a member of the Reform Party, Canadian Alliance and Conservative Party, appeared in court last week and was released with conditions. He was elected mayor of Dauphin in 1994 and lost a re-election bid in 2010; he ran unsuccessfully as an independent in the 2015 federal election.
Canadian officials said it would take investigators several more weeks to fully document the seized items and determine how many firearms were illegally possessed. Mark faces a dozen charges including firearms trafficking, possession of unauthorised devices, and unsafe storage of firearms.