A Nanaimo man has been sentenced to five years in prison for drug and firearms offences after an investigation by the Canada Border Services Agency and RCMP.
Cody Edward Ranger was sentenced on May 21 after pleading guilty in Nanaimo Provincial Court to one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of unauthorized possession of a loaded prohibited firearm.
Ranger was also given a lifetime ban on firearms and ordered to provide a DNA sample.
Canada Border Services Agency launched an investigation after three firearm suppressors were intercepted by officers at Vancouver International Airport Air Cargo Operations between August and October of 2022.
In May 2023, border services criminal investigators, with assistance from the Vancouver Island District RCMP Emergency Response Team, executed search warrants on a residence and two vehicles in Nanaimo. A number of illegal firearms and various quantities of illegal drugs were seized.
Among the firearms, police collected two loaded, prohibited 9mm ghost guns, a loaded prohibited shotgun, a 9mm restricted rifle with readily accessible ammunition and suppressor, two non-restricted rifles and nine over-capacity magazines.
The cache of drugs found included 119 grams of methamphetamine, 335 grams of cocaine, 15 grams of MDMA and 10 grams of psilocybin.
Police also seized 22 electronic devices.
Ranger was charged with the drug and firearms offences on May 15, 2024.
“The Canada Border Services Agency is committed to keeping illegal drugs and prohibited firearms out of our country and away from our communities,” said Nina Patel, regional director general, Pacific Region, for Canada Border Services Agency. “Our officers and criminal investigators work diligently to secure the border and ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.”
The Canada Border Services Agency said it regularly screens goods, including international mail and courier items, coming into Canada and examines more closely those that may pose a threat to the safety of Canadians.
Canada is coming under increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the U.S. to halt the flow of illegal drugs and firearms and announced earlier this year it was investing $1.3 billion to bolster security at the border and strengthen the immigration system.
