A large drone trying to transport weapons from the U.S. into Canada got stuck in a tree, according to reports.
On Friday, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) discovered the drone in a tree near Port Lambton, just a few miles from the U.S.-Canada border. The drone was reportedly carrying 11 handguns in a plastic shopping bag.
“How are illegal guns reaching the hands of criminals in Canada? The OPP West Region tweeted on Monday. “Recently, #LambtonOPP found that drones are being used to carry the prohibited guns over from the United States. This drone was located Friday morning near Port Lambton, stuck in a tree, transporting 11 handguns.”
The tree was on a property belonging to Jeremy and Christine Ackwood, who told reporters that their neighbor witnessed someone in the middle of the night tinkering with a remote control.
“Our neighbor had spotted someone in our yard in the middle of the night and he had a remote control,” Christine explained. “He wasn’t sure what was going on.”
The presumed drone pilot was then startled by the Ackwood’s neighbor and immediately took off in a waiting vehicle.
The couple was in Las Vegas when the incident happened and was only made aware of the drone after being contacted by police.
“We weren’t sure if they’d done it before. The police never did say that to us but we were kind of curious if they knew — if they spotted out that we were away,” Jeremy said.
The investigation remains ongoing and the OPP is still searching for the drone’s operator.
Firearms are regulated in Canada as part of the 1977 Criminal Law Amendment Act. It prohibits anyone except the police and military to possess “automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns and rifles.”
“The law restricts handguns by requiring a registration certificate to possess them and a permit, issued under limited and temporary circumstances only, to carry them. The only people who can obtain a certificate are: (1) police and other security personnel, (2) members of bona fide gun clubs, (3) bona fide gun collectors, and (4) people who demonstrate a need for handguns for self-protection,” read in a summary of Canada’s gun control laws.
“As a prerequisite for registration, a prospective handgun owner must obtain a firearms acquisition certificate. The law, with minor exceptions, restricts the magazine capacity of handguns to 10 rounds,” it added.
