Hamilton police say a man convicted in a fatal motorcycle crash five years ago is among three people accused by U.S. officials of attempting to smuggle almost 90 firearms into Canada.
U.S. federal law enforcement officials announced the arrests of Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali and Kamal Salman on Friday. They say the trio “were caught transporting more than 80 guns, including short-barreled rifles and stolen firearms, to smuggle them out of the country.”
The three were detained following a traffic stop on State Route 90 in New York.
“After asking the occupants to exit the vehicle, the troopers observed that the occupants gave inconsistent and evasive accounts in response to NYSP questioning,” authorities wrote in a press release, noting that 17 of the weapons were reported stolen.
A canine unit then conducted a sweep of the exterior of the vehicle and became alert to the potential presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle then led troopers to an unusually heavy suitcase, which was allegedly found to be carrying a large amount of firearms.
Authorities say 22-year-old Broomfield and 22-year-old Salman are both Canadian citizens, while 25-year-old Ali is a citizen of Pakistan.
Each has been charged with one count of smuggling from the U.S., one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, one count of transporting stolen firearms and unlawful possession of firearms. Bromfield was separately charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien.
If convicted, they could face more than 30 years behind bars.
Hamilton police say in July 2024, Ali was convicted in a deadly 2021 motorcycle crash. He was released before sentencing and failed to show up for his next court date, and has been on the lam ever since.
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