Federal law enforcement officials in the United States have charged three men who are accused of attempting to smuggle dozens of firearms into Canada.
Authorities announced the arrest of Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali and Kamal Salman on Friday.
The trio “were caught transporting more than 80 guns, including short-barreled rifles and stolen firearms, to smuggle them out of the country,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
They 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. “During the interview, Ali consented to a roadside search of his person, during which a trooper recovered an expired Pakistani National Driving Permit issued to an Afghan national in another name concealed in Ali’s buttocks.”
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. Meanwhile, 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. If convicted, they could face more than 30 years behind bars.
Bromfield was separately charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien.
