Cannon among items allegedly seized from former MP Inky Mark

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Inky Mark, a former Conservative MP and a small-city Manitoba mayor, is facing firearms trafficking-related charges after a cache of weapons including an antique cannon was seized by the RCMP.

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The Mounties said the charges stemmed from the execution of two search warrants at a residence in Dauphin, Man., on July 7 after they had probed allegations of firearms trafficking in the area over the course of several months.

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They said the investigation began in March, when the RCMP was notified that charges had been laid against another man from the Dauphin area, who the Brandon Sun identified as Wilfred Kachurowski73.

Kachurowski had been charged in March with felony theft by law-enforcement officials in the U.S. after a gun was allegedly stolen from a gun show in Newfolden, Minn. The RCMP later charged him with seven other offences after an investigation in Dauphin, including weapons trafficking.

“While executing a search warrant in that case, RCMP found and seized firearms that were purchased by a second suspect and never lawfully transferred,” Mounties said in a news release.

Raids stemmed from earlier arrest

Those warrants were served last week by several RCMP units with 439 firearms seized from a property as well as more than $300,000 in cash. Police said an antique cannon was part of the cache of weapons.

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Mounties said they expect to take “several more weeks” to document the evidence to determine how many weapons were illegally obtained, although they alleged that at least three firearms were believed to be illegally trafficked and another had its serial number “tampered” with.

“The illegal trafficking of prohibited weapons is a serious offence that threatens public safety,” RCMP assistant commissioner Scott McMurchy said. “We thank the many RCMP officers who are working on this case for their tireless efforts in targeting individuals who are trafficking these dangerous and illegal weapons and bringing them to justice.”

Police did not give a specific motive for why such a large cache of weapons was found, although the BBC reported that Cpl. Barry Kirby told reporters at a news conference that they know Mark is a “firearm collector, but that’s really all that we know.”

Mark freed on release order, faces 12 charges

Mark, 78, was charged with firearm trafficking; possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number; possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000; possession of a firearm when knowing possession is unauthorized; possession of a restricted/prohibited weapon with ammo without a licence; two counts each of careless use of a firearm and possession of a prohibited device when knowing possession is unauthorized; and three counts of unsafe storage of firearms.

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He has since been freed on a release order.

Mark was elected as the mayor of Dauphin, about 330 km northwest of Winnipeg, in 1994 before serving five terms as the MP for the Dauphin—Swan River—Marquette riding from 1997 until 2010 under the Reform, Alliance and Conservative party banners.

He ran as an Independent in the 2015 federal election, but finished fourth in the renamed Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa riding.

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