Alexis Creek, B.C.File photo
A massive cache of weapons has been discovered in an abandoned rural property, 114 kilometres west of Williams Lake, BC.
An extensive search of the property in Alexis Creek, B.C., discovered more than 45 rifles, two handguns, several sets of military body armour and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Most of the rifles were military-type assault rifles. Some were believed to have been smuggled into Canada.
The RCMP at this time have not found any ties between the weapons and organized crime, gangs, the illicit marijuana-growing operations that are common in the region or militant groups, Corporal Dan Moskaluk, media relations officer for the Southeast and North district detachments, said in an interview.
Cpl Moskaluk declined to speculate on the reason for the cache of weapons. "We're limited to what we can disclose at this point," he said.
The Mounties received information about the cache on Tuesday, secured the property and then searched it on Thursday. "The members were on foot and on ATVs, combing the property with a fine-tooth comb," he said.
Around 20 to 30 investigators were involved in the search. The officers came from four detachments, an emergency response team, a firearms enforcement explosive disposal unit and regional general investigation section. The Integrated national Security Enforcement unit was also involved.
The search was conducted after police obtained a search warrant. No arrests have been made, although police are speaking to people who may have a connection to the property, Cpl. Moskaluk said.
Criminologist Rob Gordon, director of the school of criminology at Simon Fraser University, said Friday the weapons cache is enough "[to]cause a heck of a lot of trouble."
Prof. Gordon said he did not recall a discovery of weapons on this scale.
Police occasionally find caches of weapons associated with the illegal drug trade, he said. "But this sounds like specialist equipment, with the same type of rifles, suggesting bulk purchases or a major theft," he said.
"You have to figure out whose arsenal is light by 45 rifles," he said, referring to the possibility that the military equipment was stolen from a U.S. or Canadian Forces military base.