Most of the arsenal confiscated by the RCMP from two brothers from Vaudreuil-Dorion, who adhere to neo-Nazi ideologies and have established an arms trafficking network, was acquired legally as they held valid permits.
• Also read: [PHOTOS] Vaudreuil-Dorion: an arsenal of war found in the home of two arms dealer brothers
Joshua Madden, 31, and Jordan Madden, 29, were formally charged with arms trafficking at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse yesterday. Charges of possession of a prohibited weapon and negligent use of a firearm will also be included in the youngster’s record.
Screenshot, GLOBAL NEWS and photo from Facebook
Jordan Madden (left), 29, exited the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse on Friday while his brother Joshua (right), 31, did not show up.
The suspected far-right human traffickers, who were previously unknown to the authorities, remain at large pending further trials. They must return to court at the end of May.
The brothers, who held valid gun licenses, allegedly obtained the guns from both legitimate sources and the dark web. However, their well-organized resale network would have been limited to the Canadian market, specifies the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
“Lone Wolves”
Everything indicates that the duo acted as “lone wolves” and were not connected to any criminal organization, according to our sources.
In fact, investigators have had months to sift through possible business connections and their surroundings since they searched their father’s apartment, where they live, last fall.
It is the analysis of the many weapons found in their homes that explains the delay between the police action and the formal filing of charges this week. In fact, 37 firearms, 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 200 high-capacity magazines and equipment associated with far-right ideologies were seized by police as part of this national security investigation.
“We confiscated many things and every part, every weapon, every magazine has to be analyzed. To give you an idea, we put about half of those confiscated on the table for the photo because we didn’t have a table big enough,” said Sergeant Poirier with a touch of humour.
Guns Legal in Canada
Additionally, by analyzing photos provided by the RCMP, a weapons specialist points out that most of them are legal in Canada.
“While this is worrying, particularly given the amount of ammunition, it must be admitted that most weapons are unrestricted,” explains former Montreal Police Gunnery Instructor André Gélinas.
Although the Madden brothers appear to adhere to neo-Nazi ideologies, the RCMP believes there is no evidence they had any violent plot or attack.
“It really seemed like a network geared towards financial gain,” adds Sergeant Poirier.
Be that as it may, the situation remains worrying for the Center for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV), which particularly questions the identity of the buyers and the profits made.
“We would have to see who they were selling arms to, because if they were making arms available to people who shared their ideology, and if they were using the trade to fund violent ideological activity, that’s very worrying,” explains Louis Audet Gosselin, researcher and strategic director at CPRLV.
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