The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has made an arrest following a gun smuggling investigation at the Windsor-Detroit border.
The CBSA’s Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET) began looking into a suspect after a previous firearm investigation led to charges against an individual from Windsor in September 2025 which resulted in the seizure of 48 firearms, 30 conversion devices and 17,000 rounds of ammunition.
A 60-year old man from Cottam was nabbed at the Ambassador Bridge in May of this year and CBSA say he’s accused of conspiring to smuggle gun parts into Canada with the goal of manufacturing prohibited weapons.
With the help of RCMP and the OPP, multiple search warrants were executed in Essex County on July 15th, with 53 firearms being seized including six unlawfully possessed handguns; two unregistered sub-machine guns; 116 cartridge magazines, 39 of which were over capacity; and one auto-sear (a device intended to convert a semi-automatic firearm into an automatic firearm).
Charges include:
One count of Smuggling Controlled Goods, s.159(1)/160 Customs Act
One count of Import Goods Without a Permit, s.14/19 Export and Import Permits Act
One count of Manufacture a Prohibited Firearm, s.99(1) Criminal Code
One count of Conspiracy to Manufacture a Firearm, s.465(1)(c)/99(1) Criminal Code
One count of Knowingly Possess a Prohibited Device, s. 92(2) Criminal Code
One count of Knowingly Possess a Prohibited Firearm, s. 92(1) Criminal Code
One count of Storage of a Non-Restricted Firearm Contrary to Regulations, s. 86(2) Criminal Code
One count of Storage of a Restricted Firearm Contrary to Regulations, s. 86(2) Criminal Code
One count of Storage of a Prohibited Firearm Contrary to Regulations, s. 86(2) Criminal Code
One count of Knowingly Possess a Prohibited Firearm, s. 92(2) Criminal Code
The suspect will appear in a Windsor court on November 16th.