A 53-year-old Burnaby man was sentenced to five years in prison last month for trying to smuggle a so-called ghost gun and illegal overcapacity magazines into Canada from the United States.
Russell Vernon Major was sentenced in Surrey provincial court on Nov. 19 after being found guilty in April of smuggling, making false statements, possessing a prohibited handgun with ammunition, possessing two overcapacity magazines, importing the prohibited handgun and importing the prohibited overcapacity magazines, according to the Surrey provincial court registry.
Major was arrested on Aug. 15, 2022 while returning to Canada at the Douglas port of entry in Surrey, according to a Canada Border Services Agency news release Thursday about his sentencing.
Upon secondary examination of his vehicle, border services officers discovered an undeclared Glock-style Polymer80 handgun and two prohibited magazines, the release said.
CBSA regional director Nina Patel said the sentence should serve as a "strong deterrent" to anyone considering importing illegal firearms into Canada.
"The Canada Border Services Agency criminal investigations section worked diligently to investigate this case and provide evidence for conviction," Patel said in the release.
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