National Overview

The illicit firearms market provides organized crime groups and individual criminals in Canada with weapons that assist in the furtherance of criminal activity. One illicit firearm in the hands of a criminal can be utilized in countless incidents of criminal behavior ranging from petty theft to murder until either seized by law enforcement or disposed of by the criminal. In particular, the illicit drug trade is a significant impetus that fuels the illicit firearms market in all regions of Canada. There is a profit incentive in the sale of illegal firearms; firearms sold on the illicit market in Canada are often between two to five times their original cost.

All organized crime groups across Canada are involved to some degree in the illicit movement and acquisition of firearms. While organized crime members may not be themselves directly involved in the initial acquisition of an illicit firearm, they are certainly connected to that acquisition either as an instigator, a planner, a financier or most importantly, a customer. Organized crime members are inclined to acquire a multiple and multi-faceted firearm capacity that can serve various criminal requirements, ranging from the expensive prestige enhancing handguns to defensive automatic assault rifles and finally cheaper handguns that can be criminally used and then subsequently discarded.

The illicit firearms market is primarily supplied by two major sources: firearms stolen in Canada from either a business or a private residence; or, firearms smuggled from the United States. Other potential sources include: firearms or firearms parts illegally diverted from domestic commercial trade, and improperly deactivated firearms that are easily reactivated. It is difficult to accurately estimate the number of illicit firearms currently within Canada or that annually enter the illicit market from all of the various sources. One complicating factor is that a firearm is not a consumable product that requires a constant, and thus potentially measurable replacement level. A properly maintained firearm could remain functional and be continuously involved in criminal activities for decades.

Stolen or missing firearms must be reported to the police. Since 1978, over 97 000 such firearms have been recorded on Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and remain unrecovered by law enforcement. Each year, approximately 2000 to 3000 firearms will be added to this total and could potentially enter the illicit market. In addition, firearms have been diverted from domestic commercial retailing, distribution and/or movement. In one example, a successful Ontario joint agency investigation, that culminated in the fall of 2001 with a number of arrests, disrupted an internal employee conspiracy within a Canadian handgun manufacturer that had been surreptitiously diverting firearms onto the illicit market for a number of years.

Firearms seized by law enforcement in Canada and subsequently traced in order to determine their origins continue to indicate the United States as the primary foreign source of illicit firearms. While it is difficult to estimate the number of smuggled U.S. firearms, the continuance of this activity is confirmed each year through intelligence, investigative information and enforcement seizures. These firearms, usually smuggled by individuals in small quantities (two to five), enter Canada either undeclared and concealed through a normal land entry point or surreptitiously across the vast land and water border areas separating Canada and the United States.

Along the Canada-U.S. border, IBETs (Integrated Border Enforcement Teams) are operationally engaged in the prevention and interdiction of contraband including illicit cross-border firearms movement. In addition, there are frequent individual law enforcement contacts on illegal firearms issues between Canada and the United States. Formal joint intelligence sharing groups such as Project NORTHSTAR and the Cross Border Crime Forum deal with a multitude of illegal cross-border issues including the smuggling of firearms.

Canadian enforcement resources are increasingly being dedicated towards firearms investigations. The National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), currently administered under the National Police Services of the RCMP, provides firearms enforcement support across Canada. The Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU), an Ontario joint forces initiative, continues to spearhead and actively pursue firearms-based investigations in that province. The CISC Firearms Tracing Unit provides assistance to law enforcement in Canada and internationally in tracing the origins of firearms.