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Outlook

Firearms used by criminals as a commodity item for illicit trade is an unfortunate reality, particularly because firearms facilitate the commission of other crimes that involve violence and intimidation, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and terrorism. Consequently, the illegal movement of guns across the Canada and United States border will require ongoing joint cooperation and vigilance.

Over the past few years, the Cross-Border Crime Forum, Canada-U.S. Consultative Group on Firearms Trafficking completed an eight-point Action Plan that includes:

Developing a Canada-US Firearms Trafficking Overview
Denying criminals access from acquiring firearms and/or explosives
Initiating a joint review of Importation and Deactivation Enforcement laws
Educating the public through an awareness campaign about the consequences of firearms trafficking and each country's import/export laws
Establishing a firearms tracing electronic interface
Establishing a ballistic identification electronic interface
Conducting joint firearms training
Developing an explosives assessment to determine potential risks of cross-border explosives smuggling and trafficking

Canada and the United States will continue to work through the CBCF Firearms Trafficking Working Group to combat the illicit trade in firearms. The emphasis on the Group's work will be to enhance information sharing among our respective law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, provincial, and local levels. The Group will meet with law enforcement officials to identify any current information sharing gaps, and seek practical solutions to enable effective and efficient firearms crime fighting tools and initiatives.

Participating Agencies - Canada

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