Police probe possible firearms trafficking following July seizure of 47 guns
RCMP investigator calls seizure the largest of his 20-year career
Police in northern Nova Scotia are investigating whether over 40 rifles and shotguns discovered in a major drug bust this summer are linked to weapons trafficking, and they hope cellphones seized during the raids will provide further clues.
RCMP Cpl. Troy Gill, an investigator with the Cumberland County street crime unit, said officers did not expect to find such a significant number of firearms when they searched two rural homes in the small communities of Hansford and Birchwood, just east of Oxford, N.S., on July 31.
"I've been doing this job for 20 years, and this is by far the largest seizure of firearms that I've ever come across in my career," Gill stated in an interview Thursday.
The searches led to the arrest of a 39-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, both facing over 200 charges, mainly related to the 47 firearms found. The charges include unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and careless storage. The weapons were reportedly located in a barn.
Alongside the firearms, police also uncovered a kilogram of crystal meth, 1,500 methamphetamine tablets known as "ice tabs," 150 oxycodone pills, and nearly $16,000 in cash, according to court records.
Gill speculated that the guns were likely traded for drugs or stolen, noting that one of the firearms had been reported stolen. However, police are still tracing the origins of the others, reviewing break-in records, and examining the seized cellphones for more evidence.
"We hope to tie this to firearm trafficking, which would elevate the investigation, but we are waiting on our digital forensic team to analyze the phones," Gill explained.
He noted that methamphetamine ice tabs, often called "poor man's cocaine," first appeared in the region around 2012. The issue has since escalated, with the quantity of meth seized in the county being "shocking," Gill added.
The drugs are primarily being trafficked from New Brunswick, specifically from Moncton and Port Elgin, which is near the Nova Scotia border. The street crime unit leading the investigation includes officers from both the RCMP and the Amherst Police Department.
