Men charged in months-long investigation into illegal firearm sales from U.S. to Canada
Posted November 3, 2023 3:59 pm.
Two men are facing several offences following a months-long investigation into the alleged sale of illegal firearms from the United States into Canada.
York Regional Police said the investigation was launched in June 2023 and was completed in October 2023.
Two men were allegedly offering to sell guns illegally imported from the U.S. for sale in Canada. Through the investigation, police said the suspects suggested they had a variety of firearms for sale.
Through the investigation, police seized two illegal handguns, ammunition and a quantity of Xanax pills. Both men were taken into custody.
On Friday, they were identified as 21-year-old Jamai Derrick of Markham and 26-year-old Shota Makharashvili of Toronto.
Both men face numerous firearm-related charges, including unauthorized possession of a restricted firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, conspiracy to traffic a firearm and two counts of trafficking a firearm.
In a news release, a police spokesperson said the force “recognizes the devastating impact that illegal guns have on the communities we serve.”
“Our members are committed to combating this type of crime and taking illegal guns off our streets through the Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy.”
