Prosecutions and Seizures

Prairie Region (including the Northwest Territories)

Public Safety Minister Toews applauds the CBSA and the RCMP on weapons seizure at Coutts border crossing

Winnipeg, Manitoba, August 5, 2010 — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced today that border services officers at Coutts, Alberta have seized 11 firearms from a US resident who failed to declare them when entering Canada.

"Our officers are the first line of defense in protecting Canadians from the smuggling of weapons, " said Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety. "Stopping such activities at our borders plays a big part in making our communities safer."

The weapons were discovered August 1, 2010 and have been identified as seven restricted semi-auto handguns, one semi-auto shotgun, and three prohibited fully-auto rifles. Also located were additional trigger mechanisms for converting rifles from semi-automatic to fully-automatic.

There was ammunition present for all the firearms except for one of the handguns.

One male individual was arrested at the border and was taken into custody.

Bjorn Patrik Sjostrom, 43, has been charged with four charges under the Customs Act and another 45 charges under the Criminal Code. The accused appeared in Lethbridge Provincial Court at 9:30AM today, August 5, 2010.

The investigation is now assumed by the Lethbridge RCMP Customs and Excise section and will focus on confirming all details of this incident, identifying the origins and destination of the firearms and a complete examination of the weapons themselves.

RCMP Inspector Joe McGeough, Lethbridge Operations Officer, stated, "There is no logical reason for fully-automatic weapons to be in our communities and to have these removed from our streets will protect our society from the danger that comes from these firearms."

The CBSA is committed to stopping the illegal importation of firearms and prohibited devices into Canada. Each year, hundreds of firearms and prohibited devices are confiscated at various points of entry across Canada. Since January 2008, the CBSA in Alberta has seized over 200 firearms.

If you have any information about this case, or if you have witnessed or are aware of an incident involving suspicious cross-border activity, please contact the CBSA Border Watch Toll-free Line at 1-888-502-9060.

– 30 –

For media information: