An Ontario Provincial Police logo is shown during a press conference in Barrie, Ont., on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Police in southwestern Ontario say they are looking for two people of interest in a suspected weapons smuggling case after finding three dozen illegal firearms near the Canada-U.S. border.
Ontario Provincial Police say they received a report early Thursday morning of a suspected firearms smuggling operation after two people were seen travelling in a boat on the St. Clair River, which is located near the community of Port Lambton and runs along the border with Canada and the United States.
Police say they later located the 36 firearms but discovered the suspected smugglers had allegedly fled on foot.
Investigators did not provide details on where exactly the guns were found and say officers are also looking for the watercraft used by the suspects.
OPP Det. Insp. Lee Fulford says illegal firearms pose a serious risk to public safety and are often used by organized crime groups, including street gangs, to commit violent crimes.
Police say anyone with information on the case should contact investigators.