Smuggled guns missing

Nearly all of the 22 high-powered handguns smuggled into Winnipeg as part of a cross-border crime network are still missing -- a fact that has police and justice officials bracing for further bloodshed.

"It's certainly not inconceivable that one of these guns smuggled across the border has already been used in a homicide," Mike Sutherland, president of the Winnipeg Police Association, told the Free Press Wednesday.

"We know a lot of these guns are in the hands of organized crime and criminal street gangs. They just start shooting up entire neighbourhoods regardless of where the bullets land."

Winnipeg resident Thomas Scher was sentenced this week in North Dakota for his role in a year-long operation that saw the weapons purchased in North Dakota, smuggled across the border and then traded for cash and drugs in the city. Two co-accused remain before the American courts and will be sentenced later this year.

Scher told the judge he was deeply sorry for his actions and admitted he exposed his hometown to potential harm. It's already known that one of the guns -- a Jimenez Arms nine-millimetre -- was recovered by police in January as part of an ongoing criminal case. No further details have been provided, although Sutherland notes there was a wave of shootings to start the new year.

"We literally started this year off with a bang... and that has continued," he said.

U.S. Attorney David Hagler told the Free Press Wednesday he has no idea where the missing weapons have ended up.

"Regarding what happened to them (once they got to Winnipeg), it's anybody's guess," said Hagler.

The National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), which is comprised of city police and RCMP officers, is involved in the case but declined to comment Wednesday. RCMP spokeswoman Line Karpish said "guns on the street are always a concern" but added it wasn't safe for officials to make specific comments while the cases remain before the courts.

Sutherland said his front-line officers were seeing an alarming spike in firearms even before the arrival of at least 22 guns from North Dakota.

"To have 22 guns, that's a significant number, you just can't get around that. The fact we may have only found one of them doesn't sit well with me or with the members of the Winnipeg Police Service or the public," he said.

"It's a very significant concern, especially given the number of incidents we've had where officers have been confronted and forced to use lethal force."

Sutherland said the true impact of this particular smuggling operation might not be fully realized for years as criminals usually protect their guns and could use them at any time in the future.

"We know these guns are being used to intimidate, frighten, wound and kill. I think Winnipeggers have almost become acclimatized (to) shootings. We know that there are numerous incidents that don't even get reported," he said.

Sutherland believes anyone caught importing weapons should pay a heavy price.

"I condemn the actions of anyone involved in this in the strongest possible terms," he said.

Scher, 20, was given a deal by American justice officials because he co-operated with their ongoing investigation. He was sentenced to 366 days in jail and three years of probation. He could be released after serving 85 per cent of his sentence for good behaviour -- but will be immediately deported back to Canada.

Scher had been playing football at Minot State University on a partial football scholarship when he was recruited by another Winnipeg man to get involved, court was told. Scher enlisted the help of his college friend, Curtis Rolle, who was able to legally purchase the firearms from several North Dakota stores. The two men then drove the guns across the Canadian border and gave them to a co-accused in exchange for payment.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 16, 2009 A4