Illegal firearm trafficking in Kahnawake and Montreal: 5 suspects arrested, 12 weapons seized

A police officer with the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) steps out of his patrol car in Montreal on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. (The Canadian Press)

Police have arrested five people after a series of raids in Kahnawake and Montreal as part of an investigation into the flow of illegal firearms passing through the Mohawk territory on the city’s South Shore.

According to Montreal police (SPVM), investigators began collaborating in February with the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers and the Équipe intégrée de lutte au trafic d’armes (EILTA), a specialized unit that investigates gun trafficking and includes members from the Sûreté du Québec, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the SPVM.

Two firearms were seized at the time.

On Wednesday, Montreal police arrested two suspects — Georges Michael Latimer-Nolan, 24, and Gaven Mayo, 35 — and seized seven more firearms, according to a SPVM news release.

Then, on Thursday, during a joint operation between EILTA and the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers, officers searched three homes in Kahnawake, which resulted in the seizure of three firearms, including one that is prohibited, and other prohibited devices, and an imitation weapon. In that operation, three more suspects were arrested and are expected to face firearms charges at the Montreal courthouse.

“This operation demonstrates the coordinated efforts and ongoing collaboration among the various police agencies involved,” the SPVM said in the release.

“Thanks to information sharing, coordinated investigations, and the mobilization of police resources from multiple jurisdictions, investigators were able to carry out this operation successfully.”

Any information related to the possession, trafficking, use and manufacture of firearms can be reported to the CENTAURE information line at 1-833-888-ARME (2763). In some cases, rewards of up $5,000 can be offered for information leading to an arrest.