The Canadian Bazaar
TORONTO: The RCMP on Monday arrested 11 people and seized many weapons from trailers at a Alberta border blockade in protest against vaccine mandate.
Thirteen long guns, handguns, many pieces of body armour, a machete, a large quantity of ammunition and high capacity magazines were seized when RCMP officers executed a search warrant on three trailers during the early hours of Februray 14 at the Coutts border blockade.
In a statement, the RCMP said it received information that a small group in the protest blockade had access to a cache of firearms with a large quantity of ammunition.
“The group was said to have a willingness to use force against the police if any attempts were made to disrupt the blockade. This resulted in an immediate and complex investigation to determine the extent of the threat and criminal organization,” the RCMP said.
As a result of this investigation, the Alberta RCMP searched the three trailers associated to this criminal organization, arrested 11 individuals and seized various weapons.
The RCMP said it came to know of `the militant mindset of a small segment of the protest’ when some suspects tried to ram a large farm tractor and a semi truck to ram into a police vehicle.
The police officer managed to avoid the collision by repositioning the vehicle.
The driver of the tractor was identified and police are trying to locate him as the farm tractor and the semi truck involved in this incident have been seized.
Urging the protesters to leave, the RCMP said its officers will resume efforts to end the border blockade.
