NOTE: On Oct. 13, CFSEU spokesperson Sgt. Brenda Winpenny said charges in the case had been stayed, meaning the suspects were no longer charged with these offences.
Two men are facing gun charges after an investigation into alleged “straw purchasers” of handguns led to a raid in Langley earlier this year.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, an anti-gang policing group, began the investigation last December and on Jan. 2, said Sgt. Brenda Winpenny, spokesperson for the unit.
A straw purchase is when someone with a valid firearms license buys guns on behalf of someone without a valid license and permit.
Guns bought in this way are typically used by criminals, Winpenny said.
On New Year’s Day this year, officers observed a man allegedly transporting ammunition and restricted firearms to a property in Langley. The guns were supposed to be taken to Sooke on Vancouver Island for storage next.
The CFSEU swooped in the next day at a home in the 21800 block of 56th Avenue in Langley, arresting three men and seizing 27 guns along with ammunition.
Two men have now been charged.
Vincent Loveys has been charged with one count of unlawfully transporting firearms, two counts of possession of firearms at an unauthorized place (both Sooke and Langley) and one count of careless use of a firearm, linked to an incident in Sooke on Jan. 8.
Kevin Rahn has been charged with knowingly possession an unauthorized firearm and careless use of a firearm.
Persons charged with a criminal offence are considered not guilty until the charges are proven in court.
READ ALSO: 3 arrested in Langley, several firearms seized in weapons trafficking probe
The two appeared before a judge in Surrey Provincial Court on Sept. 22 and were released on various conditions, said Winpenny.
Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com
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