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American armed with handguns, stun gun quickly nabbed after illegally entering Canada: RCMP

The Peace Arch, in Peace Arch Provincial Park in Surrey, B.C., and Peace Arch Historical State Park in Washington state, is pictured in 2020. (Jordan Jiang / CTV News Vancouver) The Peace Arch, in Peace Arch Provincial Park in Surrey, B.C., and Peace Arch Historical State Park in Washington state, is pictured in 2020. (Jordan Jiang / CTV News Vancouver)
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An American who illegally crossed the border into Canada while carrying various weapons late last month was quickly caught by police, according to the RCMP.

Mounties said John Wright, a U.S. citizen, was accused of illegally entering the country on March 31 at the Surrey Peace Arch State Park border.

The RCMP didn't explain how Wright crossed the border, but said in a news release he "joined a Canadian woman in a waiting cab" and officers quickly arrested him. Three loaded handguns and a stun gun were reportedly seized by police.

"The excellent work of identifying and preventing an alleged armed individual from entering Canada is a demonstration of the BC RCMP Border Enforcement Team's dedication to protecting Canadians from transnational criminal threats," Supt. Bert Ferreira said in the news release.

Mounties said Wright was charged with possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition, smuggling, and failing to comply contrary to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. He was remanded until a bail hearing and the RCMP's federal serious and organized crime border integrity unit is continuing to investigate the situation.

Without giving details on how Wright was caught, the RCMP said it uses "the latest and most advanced technology" to monitor borders. 

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