Air Force major charged in firearms bust in Kingston, Petawawa

Weapons seized by CBSA (Canadian Border Services Agency)

The Canada Border Services Agency conducted a large-scale seizure of trafficked weapons in Kingston and Petawawa, Ont. which has led to multiple criminal charges.

The CBSA's Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET) announced Wednesday that it had laid criminal charges against Maj. Kendrick Barling of the Royal Canadian Air Force

Barling had returned to Canada in Aug. 2023 after being posted in the United States for five years. His household goods were shipped through Canadian Forces Base Trenton where numerous undeclared firearms were discovered hidden throughout the shipment.

On Oct. 19, OFSET investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in Kingston and another on Oct. 23, at a residence in Petawawa.

During the searches, officers located and seized several prohibited firearms and items:

• Seven handguns
• 10 rifles (including assault rifles)
• Two shot guns
• Approximately 45,000 rounds of ammunition of varying calibres
• Hundreds of magazines that included AR-15 over-capacity magazines

Multiple firearms have duplicate serial numbers.

“The CBSA Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team works hard to keep our communities safe. Thanks to their dedication and due diligence, they have successfully taken many dangerous weapons off of our streets," said regional director of CBSA Northern Ontario Eric Lapierre.

"This successful investigation is another example of collaboration between law enforcement partners, such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the United States of America, as we work together to keep our communities safe.”

Maj. Kendrick Barling, has been charged by the CBSA with the following offences:

• 5x Customs Act s. 159(1) – Smuggle Goods into Canada
• 2x Customs Act s. 153(a) – Making False Statements
• 2x Export and Import Permits Act s. 14/19 – Import Goods without a Permit
• 9x Criminal Code s. 103(1) – Importing a Firearm Knowing it is Unauthorized
• 9x Criminal Code s. 104(1) – Unauthorized Importing of a Firearm
• 2x Criminal Code s. 86(2) – Contravention of Transportation Regulations

The accused is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 22.