Two people each face hundreds of charges following a joint forces investigation by members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit (PWEU) and the Durham Regional Police Service (DRPS) – Guns and Gangs Unit at a residence in Bancroft, Ontario.

On the morning of March 7, 2013, the PWEU with the assistance of DRPS, the OPP Central Region Tactics and Rescue Unit (TRU), OPP East Region officers and Crime Unit executed a search warrant on Spooks Bay Lane in Bancroft.  Inside the residence, officers found two hidden compartments built into the walls of the house that were used to hide a large cache of illegal firearms and ammunition.

Officers also searched a garage on the property and found machining equipment which was seized under asset forfeiture legislation along with additional illegal, converted and altered weapons, silencers, prohibited magazines, “homemade” manufactured assault rifles and pistols with no serial numbers, and firearms with the serial numbers removed. In total, 67 illegal firearms were seized and removed from the property. Included among these weapons were machine guns, conductive energy weapon (Taser), crossbows, “zip” guns, a fully automatic shotgun and a 32-inch long cannon and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Also found and seized by PWEU were numerous explosives and detonating devices including anti-personnel land mines, grenades, detonator cords and blasting caps.  These were safely recovered with the assistance of TRU and the Department of National Defense.

Police have charged 55-year-old David Alan KIFT with multiple counts of weapons-related offences including illegal possession, alteration, and manufacturing prohibited and restricted firearms, illegal possession of ammunition and explosives, illegal possession of prohibited devices and breach of parole conditions.  He has been remanded into federal custody due to violating parole conditions.

Also charged with multiple counts of similar offences is 53-year-old Marion KIFT of Bancroft. She has been released with conditions following a bail hearing. The investigation is ongoing and further charges are pending.

SOURCE: Ontario Provincial Police