A man in his 20s could face criminal charges after West Shore RCMP seized a dozen guns and prohibited ammunition from a Metchosin home.
The department's streetcrime unit and uniformed officers raided the home Thursday and found firearms, some loaded, improperly stored throughout the house, including under a bed and in the kitchen, living room and an unlocked safe, said West Shore RCMP spokesman Sgt. Max Fossum.
While the eight rifles and four handguns were registered, some were modified with accessories such as scopes, lights and a tripod that might make them restricted or prohibited weapons, Fossum said. There were gun parts all over the house, evidence that the weapons had been modified.
Const. Olen Bernardo, one of the investigators, said some of the guns were modified to look "more menacing" and he doubts any of them were used for hunting.
"We're asking the question, why so many guns?" Bernardo said.
Investigators also seized dozens of illegal magazines and three bulletproof vests.
When police entered the house, they also found grenades, which almost sparked a call to the RCMP explosives unit.
The grenades were not determined to be a risk, however.
Investigators plan to send the guns to a lab to determine whether any of the semi-automatic assault rifles had been modified to be fully automatic weapons, which are illegal.
Two people were in the house at the time of the raid. A third man also lives in the home. The man who owns the guns is in his late 20s.
No charges have been laid yet, but the investigation is ongoing, Fossum said.
Mounties are in touch with 91原创 Forces personnel, but would not confirm if the gun owner is a member of the military.
Fossum said the RCMP will apply to keep the guns, even if no criminal charges are laid.
Police can also apply to prohibit the man from owning firearms in future if they can prove he put people at risk by storing them improperly.
The fact that the guns were not locked up and that one of the handguns was loaded is a major concern, Fossum said, because of the risk they could be stolen if the home was broken into.
"There was a safe there - I don't know why it wasn't locked," Fossum said. "There's no excuse for that."
