A total of 28 firearms along with magazines and ammunition have been seized in Cornwall, leading to numerous firearms trafficking charges being laid against a 38-year-old man from Akwesasne.
Steven Johnson faces 126 charges, including 28 counts of possession for the purpose of weapons trafficking, weapons trafficking, possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
The accused was held in custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall on a later date.
The arrest was made after authorities were informed that an individual was involved in smuggling commodities across the Canadian border from the United States.
During a May 22 vehicle stop investigators located three suitcases that contained 26 illegal handguns and two illegal assault-style rifles. Additionally, police seized 37 boxes of ammunition, 20 prohibited overcapacity magazines, 74 magazines, one Glock upper receiver and a cell phone.
The investigation was carried out by the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service.
The accused was held in custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Cornwall on a later date.
If you have information about suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060.
“Illegal firearms continue to pose a serious risk to public safety,” said OPP Detective Inspector Lee Fulford, of the Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau. “These firearms are consistently found to be used by organized crime groups to commit violent crimes such as robberies, carjackings, extortion and homicides. It is imperative that joint forces investigations such as this one continue and that law enforcement in Canada work collaboratively with our US policing partners to curb the flow of illegal firearms across our borders.”
“CBSA officers are always on the lookout for undeclared and prohibited firearms. This significant seizure demonstrates our joint commitment to securing the border and keeping harmful goods out of Canada. We will continue to work with law enforcement partners to disrupt criminal activity and keep our communities safe,” said Eric Lapierre, Regional Director General, Northern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency.
