A 78-year-old former MP has been arrested following a gun-trafficking probe after police seized 439 firearms, an antique cannon and a large sum of cash
A staggering arsenal of 439 firearms was seized by police during a raid on a former MP’s property(Image: Manitoba RCMP)
A former Member of Parliament and ex-mayor has reportedly been arrested following a police probe into a suspected international gun-running ring. Inky Mark, 78, has been hit with a string of charges after cops raided his property and uncovered a staggering arsenal of weapons, including hundreds of firearms and even a historic piece of artillery.
The veteran politician, who served as the mayor of Dauphin, Canada, before representing the area as an MP for over a decade, was swept up in a major months-long investigation.
According to police, the chain of events was kicked off in March when Canadian authorities were alerted to weapon charges being filed across the border in the United States against a 73-year-old man.
Veteran politician Inky Mark, 78, who faces weapon charges after a police raid on his home(Image: Manitoba RCMP)
While executing an initial search warrant, officers uncovered a stash of guns that had been purchased by a second suspect but never legally registered or transferred.
That second suspect was identified as the former politician, reports CTV News. On July 7, police executed two warrants at Mark’s property.
What they found inside looked more like a military depot than a standard home, including 439 firearms of various type, a massive stockpile of ammunition, an antique cannon and more than $300,000 in cash.
An antique cannon was among the surprising finds in the former MP’s personal arsenal(Image: Manitoba RCMP)
Detectives admit they have a mountain of evidence to sort through, warning it will take “several more weeks” to fully document the haul and figure out exactly how many of the seized weapons were held illegally.
So far, police have established that at least three of the weapons were illegally trafficked, while one had its serial number scraped or tampered with.
Mark is currently facing charges of firearm trafficking, possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number, and possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000.
Police have established that at least three of the weapons were illegally trafficked(Image: Manitoba RCMP)
A spokesperson for the courts confirmed that the 78-year-old, who has no prior criminal record, has been released on bail and is scheduled to appear in a Dauphin court on August 11.
The investigation is still active and the charges against him have not been proven in court.
Mark previously served as the mayor of Dauphin from 1994 to 1997, before moving into federal politics as the MP for Dauphin – Swan River – Marquette from 1997 until 2010.
