Gang police allege Vancouver man ran ‘sophisticated’ gun importation scheme

SURREY, B.C. — A 24-year-old Vancouver man faces several charges after investigators dismantled what they say was a “sophisticated” gun importation operation.

The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says the charges come after an investigation that began in June 2023 when packages with gun parts were “intercepted at the border.”

Investigators say they searched a business in Richmond at the time, and then a home in Vancouver months later, where they found “evidence consistent with an alleged sophisticated firearms importation scheme.”

Police say the BC Prosecution Service approved multiple charges of gun smuggling and importing “prohibited devices” last month, and the man was arrested and released on conditions he’ll have to follow before going to court.

Cpl. Sarbjit Sanga, the unit’s spokeswoman, says gun smuggling “fuels violence” and illegal weapons have a “devastating impact” on communities.

Court records show the man is due in Richmond provincial court on April 15.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.