Several organizations that have been smuggling weapons in Toronto have been arrested.
On the 11th, Toronto police announced that they had arrested 42 Canadian nationals who had been smuggling weapons against American organizations and confiscated 173 weapons, including handguns, from both countries.
Police seized 87 handguns enroute to Canada from Chicago and 86 pistols from Toronto.
In addition, 1,454 rounds of ammunition, three sets of body armor, and 45 magazines for mass loading were also seized.
The investigation was conducted under close cooperation between the authorities of the two countries for about a year.
In Canada, the Toronto/York Region and Ontario Police and Border Services Agency participated, and in the United States, the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Task Force (ATF) participated.
According to police, the handgun seized in Chicago was wrapped in cushioning material and hidden in a suitcase, preparing to be transported to Canada. Most of the suspects were identified as residents of Ontario, with more than half from Toronto.
A police official explained that weapons smuggled into Canada are sourced from states such as Florida, Ohio, Arizona, Georgia, and Texas in the United States, and are legally purchased locally.
After being smuggled across the border into Canada, the price is multiplied fivefold and sold on the black market, he added.
“Because of these revenues, there is a high demand for arms trafficking, and weapons are sold to each individual or criminal organization in need,” he said.
The investigation also uncovered 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller with a market value of $300,000, and 1.8 kilograms of cocaine, valued at $190,000, police said.