Saskatoon teen arrested after attempting to import gun parts: Police

A 16-year-old boy from Saskatoon is facing charges after an attempt to import restricted gun parts led police to uncover a trove of weapons, weapon parts and ammunition.

In early September, Canada Border Services Agency officers working at a mail centre in Vancouver intercepted a suspicious package heading to Saskatoon. The package contained two gun barrels and two 9mm magazines that are prohibited in Canada due to laws limiting magazine capacity.

“The items were packaged as a commonly used construction tool along with other firearm parts, shipped from the United States,” Saskatoon police said in a statement.

The package was seized, and Border Services alerted Saskatoon police, who executed a search warrant at a home on Albert Avenue on Sept. 8.

During the search, police arrested a 16-year-old boy, and found a sawed-off .22-calibre rifle, bear spray, ammunition and two more gun barrels.

The boy was charged with importing a prohibited device to Canada, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition, careless use or storage of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and carrying a concealed weapon.

“Saskatoon, like many other communities across the country, has seen an increase in the number of firearms tied to criminal activity,” Randy Huisman, Saskatoon’s deputy police chief, said in a statement.

“Partnerships with agencies like the CBSA give police a greater opportunity to be proactive in removing these firearms from the community.”