On January 31, 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP's Moose Jaw Crime Reduction Team (CRT) executed two search warrants at residences in Estevan as part of an ongoing investigation.
They located and seized seven restricted handguns, three semi-automatic firearms and three long-barrelled firearms. One handgun and two of the long-barrelled firearms were loaded. Officers describe them as being unsafely scattered throughout the residences.
An adult male was arrested at one of the residences. 26-year-old Alexander Li from Estevan is charged with:
- 12 counts, unsafe storage of a firearm, Section 86(2), Criminal Code;
- 8 counts, possess a restricted weapon in a place other than where entitled, Section 93(b), Criminal Code; and
- 8 counts, unlicensed possession of a restricted firearm with readily-available ammunition, Section 95(a), Criminal Code.
He is scheduled to appear in Estevan Provincial Court on February 1, 2023.
Estevan Police Service, the Saskatchewan RCMP Integrated Border Enforcement Team and the Estevan RCMP detachment assisted with this continuing investigation.
"The seamless partnership between Moose Jaw CRT, other Saskatchewan RCMP units and the Estevan Police Service was pivotal to this investigation," says Supt. Glenn Church, the officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP's Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team. "Together, they've removed a significant risk from the community – these firearms were being stored in a careless way. Moose Jaw CRT is a new unit and one of its mandates is to disrupt the possession and trafficking of illegal firearms. They'll continue to work to keep unsafe and illegal guns out of our communities."
Background:
The Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Team (SERT) consists of Saskatchewan RCMP's Crime Reduction Teams (CRT) and Warrant Enforcement Suppression Team (WEST), as well as the Saskatchewan Trafficking Response Team (STRT). SERT will help the Saskatchewan RCMP continue to fulfil its mandate as the province's police force – keeping our communities safe.