Investigation Into Firearms Trafficking Leads To Arrests And Charges Against Five Men
Five men have been arrested and charged by the BC Prosecution Service and numerous firearms seized after an investigation by the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia’s (CFSEU- BC’S) Illegal Firearms Enforcement Team (IFET) into alleged illegal firearms trafficking in communities across B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
Working closely with the New Westminster Police, CFSEU-BC began an investigation into an alleged firearms trafficker in the fall of 2022 that eventually led officers to others who were involved in the sale of illegal firearms. Beginning in January 2023, CFSEU-BC investigators were able to seize several firearms, including:
two Kodiak Defence rifles with prohibited magazines and ammunition;
a Polymer 80 handgun with suppressor, prohibited magazine and ammunition;
a 1911-style .45 calibre privately made handgun with suppressor and ammunition;
a .50 calibre rifle with ammunition;
three Glock handguns;
a Ruger handgun; and
a Beretta handgun, along with additional ammunition, prohibited firearms-related devices, and
suppressors.
On March 7th, several search warrants were executed at various residences and businesses in Langley, New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, and Maple Ridge that resulted in the seizure of:
Six handguns
One .30 calibre rifle with prohibited magazine
One auto sear firearms part capable of making a firearm fully automatic
Quantities of suspected fentanyl
Approximately 1 kg of suspected cocaine
80 litres of suspected PMK, a controlled substance precursor for making MDMA
Body armour pieces
Numerous prohibited firearms magazines and firearms parts
Various calibres of ammunition
Canadian currency
Many of the firearms and prohibited devices seized during the course of the investigation and during the search warrants remain in the process of being traced and forensically examined; however, early results indicate that the firearms have been sourced both domestically and internationally. CFSEU-BC is working with its international partners, such as the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), to follow-up on where the firearms originated.
On March 7th, charges were laid by BC Prosecution Service against five men.
1. Arman Anthony Giordano, a 24-year-old man from Maple Ridge, has been charged with:
a. 15 Counts: Manufacturing or transferring a prohibited firearm, a restricted firearm or a
non-restricted firearm knowing that they were unauthorized to do so under the
Firearms Act contrary to S.99(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
b. 1 Count: Manufacturing or transferring a prohibited firearm, a restricted firearm or a
non-restricted firearm knowing that they were unauthorized to do so under the Firearms Act contrary to S.99(1)(b) of the Criminal Code
2. Brandon Vuong Nguyen, a 28-year-old man from Burnaby, has been charged with:
a. 6 Counts: Manufacturing or transferring a prohibited firearm, a restricted firearm or a
non-restricted firearm knowing that they were unauthorized to do so under the Firearms Act contrary to S.99(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
3. Ali Sabha Taghan, a 39-year-old man from Langley, has been charged with:
a. 5 Counts: Manufacturing or transferring a prohibited firearm, a restricted firearm or a
non-restricted firearm knowing that they were unauthorized to do so under the Firearms Act contrary to S.99(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
4. Derek Melville Johnston, a 33-year-old man from North Vancouver, has been charged with:
a. 3 Counts: Manufacturing or transferring a prohibited firearm, a restricted firearm or a
non-restricted firearm knowing that they were unauthorized to do so under the Firearms Act contrary to S.99(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
5. Jerry Lino, a 30-year-old man from Coquitlam, has been charged with:
a. 1 Count: Manufacturing or transferring a prohibited firearm, a restricted firearm or a
non-restricted firearm knowing that they were unauthorized to do so under the Firearms Act contrary to S.99(1)(a) of the Criminal Code
All were arrested at various locations throughout the Lower Mainland on March 7th and have remained in custody overnight. They will be appearing before a Justice on March 8th to determine whether they will be released. The investigation remains ongoing and CFSEU-BC anticipates that more charges may be forthcoming.
“Firearms in the hands of the wrong people pose one of the greatest risks to public safety. We have seen time and time again that trafficked firearms, no matter where they come from, are being used in crime and too often end up connected to tragedy,” says Inspector Joel Hussey, CFSEU-BC Operations Officer. “CFSEU-BC and its policing partners in British Columbia and across the country are determined to stop illegal firearms trafficking and reduce the impact that firearms-related violence has on our communities.”
CFSEU-BC would like to thank the New Westminster Police, Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team, Coquitlam RCMP, National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), and other police agencies who assisted with the investigation.
Media Spokesperson: Staff Sergeant Lindsey Houghton
Lindsey.Houghton@cfseu.bc.ca
Phone: (778-290-3099)
