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Contraband
Illegal Firearms
Threat Issue
In Canada, strict firearm controls and regulations have proven largely effective in preventing organized crime members from legally acquiring firearms. Criminals are thus forced to develop illegal strategies to acquire these firearms either from within Canada or smuggled from a foreign country such as the United States.
Canada is not unique in requiring all firearm owners to be licensed and all firearms to be registered as similar requirements are in place in Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan among others. Firearms registration information assists the Canadian law enforcement community in tracing the origins of firearms and in the investigation of illegal gun trafficking and smuggling. It also allows police officers to determine if firearms may be present when responding to calls and thus take appropriate precautions in order to avoid potential threats to the public and officer safety.
The new requirement for all law enforcement agencies to report seized firearms, starting in January 2005 with full compliance by January 2006, will assist the law enforcement community to improve its strategic evaluations of the illicit firearms market.These new regulations will also increase identification of smuggling groups, and thereby assist in the interdiction of illicit firearms entering into Canada and moving internally within the country.
Overview of Criminal Activity
The illicit firearms market in Canada is generally driven by individual criminals and organized crime groups (and their members) seeking to either sell or buy firearms that are then used to commit crimes, provide self protection, demonstrate status, and intimidate or inflict violence on their criminal peers, the law enforcement community and innocent citizens.
The two major sources of illicit firearms in Canada are: domestic thefts; and those smuggled from the United States. Domestic thefts of handguns and long guns have come from both commercial firearm venues and private residences. In particular, known firearm owners and/or collectors, have been deliberately targeted by criminals to acquire firearms either for themselves, other individual criminals, or for sale to organized crime groups. Law enforcement often recovers firearms through enforcement actions that are discovered to be legitimately registered, but the owners were either not aware they had been lost or stolen, or had not reported this information to the police.
The United States is another significant source of illicit firearms, frequently but not exclusively handguns, as they can be more easily acquired than in Canada due to a generally less rigorous federal and state firearm control system. In particular, a serious threat is from those states that allow unregulated and undocumented firearm purchases at guns shows or flea markets. However, firearms destined for the Canadian illicit market are also acquired directly by Canadians through their possession of legitimate or fraudulent U.S. identification cards, or through a U.S. accomplice usually referred to as a “straw purchaser”.Although a few shipments of between 10 to 40 firearms have been uncovered in the last three years, most smuggling incidents involve between 2 to 5 firearms.
There are other potential firearms sources for the illicit Canadian market including: firearms that are declared as deactivated, but either the declaration is fraudulent, or the firearm can actually be easily reactivated; and firearm parts bought and shipped separately that are subsequently assembled into a functional weapon.As well, in some instances, the acquisition of a single part will allow an individual to transform a semiautomatic to a fully automatic rifle.The on-line Internet access to individuals or retailers in North America that are selling firearms or parts and the exploitation of the postal and/or commercial movement system further complicates and creates difficulties for effective law enforcement.
All organized crime groups acquire illicit firearms, and thus are involved in this criminal market in some manner, even if it is as an end consumer. The illegal drug trade is a major instigator in creating market demand for illicit firearms given that the large profits generated are the source of competition and tension between crime groups, as well as between members of the same crime group.Thus, the potential for violence is always very near the surface of the illicit drug trade, which in turn fuels a need for illicit firearms.The acquisition and distribution of illicit firearms appears to involve a variety of individuals and groups.These range from independent operators that are not aligned with any specific crime group, and thus willing to trade with a wide variety of clients, to semiindependents who have some linkages to organized crime groups though are not necessarily a bona fide member of that crime group, as well as members of criminal organizations who specialize in the acquisition of illicit firearms.Although most firearms are paid for in cash, law enforcement believes that, in some instances, firearms have been included as part of the exchange price for illicit drugs.
Increasingly street gang members are being encountered with illicit firearms, particularly semi-automatic handguns. Street gang members usually have a much higher propensity than more established crime groups to readily resort to firearms-related violence in both criminalrelated activities and in their daily personal interactions.Thus, they often pose a higher direct and immediate risk to public safety despite their relatively lower-level criminal activities.
Negative Socio-economic Effects
Illicit firearms can have a dramatic and direct impact on individuals through intended and unintended homicides and assaults. Indirectly, these homicides and assaults affect friends and family through accompanying emotional pain and suffering.As well, it affects communities through fears of personal and public safety. Individuals and crime group members, particularly street gangs, use illicit firearms to intimidate peers, innocent citizens and their communities.They can assist in the creation and perpetuation of a “culture of violence” in some communities or between members of the same or different crime groups.
While it is difficult to estimate precise costs of illicit firearms on society, they nevertheless have an impact to varying degrees on a wide variety of services such as: law enforcement and the judicial system; medical care; pain, suffering and lost quality of life for victims and their communities; and reduced productivity.
