Police say the owner of a B.C. army surplus store has been showing customers how to turn starter pistols into real guns and selling ammunition to people without firearms licences.
Westley William Baker, the 67-year-old owner of Westley Military Surplus in New Westminster, has been charged with four counts of unauthorized transfer of ammunition and one count each of manufacturing a firearm and unauthorized transfer of a firearm after a five-month investigation.
Supt. Tom McCluskie of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit told reporters that the charges are meant to send a message to gun dealers.
"If you have any intention of selling weapons such as these, or starter pistols, with the intent of sort of turning a blind eye to where they're going or what they may be used for, you're going to be on our radar," he said.
The undercover investigation revealed that Baker allegedly sold his patrons starter pistols and replica machine guns, and then explained the relatively simple procedure of altering them to work with real bullets.
Police searched his store and home last week and seized about 100 weapons, most of them starter pistols, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.
Investigators say converted guns have shown up on the streets in cities across Canada, and three have been seized in Metro Vancouver and on Vancouver Island in recent months.
"You can't distinguish between them -- which is the starter gun and which is the real gun," CFSEU spokesman Sgt. Shinder Kirk said.
Baker refused to speak to CTV News when a reporter visited his store on Thursday. He is scheduled to appear in court in April, and will have to plead with New Westminster city council to keep his business licence.
Police say further charges against Baker are pending.
With files from CTV British Columbia's Rob Brown
