Antique Cannon, Loads of Guns Found in Ex-MP's Home: Cops

A former Canadian lawmaker is at the center of a sprawling gun case after police say they pulled 439 firearms and an antique cannon from his Manitoba home. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police searched the residence near Dauphin of 78-year-old Inky Mark on July 7, seizing the weapons along with around $215,000 in cash as part of a firearms trafficking investigation, reports the BBC. At least three of the guns were trafficked illegally, and one had its serial number altered, authorities said.

Mark, a former Dauphin mayor and long-serving MP for the region, now faces a dozen charges, including firearms trafficking, possession of unauthorized devices, and unsafe storage. Officials say it could take weeks to sift through the alleged arsenal. "We still have a lot more exhibits to process, a lot more things to look at," says RCMP Cpl. Barry Kirby, per the Winnipeg Free Press. Authorities stressed the case is a public safety issue, with Assistant Commissioner Scott McMurchy calling illegal weapons trafficking a "serious offense," per the BBC.

Investigators say the probe began in March after US firearms charges against another man in the area led them to weapons allegedly purchased by Mark that were "never lawfully transferred." A motive remains unclear; an RCMP corporal noted only that the erstwhile mayor is known as a firearms collector. Mark was released on conditions after a court appearance. He's due back in court on Aug. 11, per the CBC.