Records show a maximum 10-year prison sentence for gun smuggling has never been imposed in Canada, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. .“We need a bill that will provide additional tools to fight organized crime,” said Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino. .“One of the things Bill C-21 will do when passed into law is increase maximum sentences from 10 to 14 years for those hardened criminals who would try to terrorize our communities.”.Mendicino said he proposed to increase the maximum penalty to 14 years to send a message to organized crime. .Cabinet said in an inquiry of ministry tabled in the House of Commons no gun trafficker received the maximum sentence in the past six years. Of the 390 people convicted of weapons trafficking or possession of stolen or banned firearms, zero were sentenced to 10 years in prison. .Conservative MP Adam Chambers requested the data, asking how many people have been convicted and how many received the maximum sentence. The answer was none. .Mendicino did not disclose the current maximum sentence was never imposed. .The Canadian government acknowledged it does not have figures on the number of firearms smuggled into Canada. Seizures by the Canada Border Services Agency totalled 4,770 guns since 2017..Mendicino admitted he is a former Crown attorney. He said he reads the Criminal Code of Canada. .“The last time I checked, the 14-year maximum sentence is the last stop before you get to life sentence, so that is a very strong and unambiguous signal to illegal gun traffickers that if you’re in the business of trying to get illegal guns into communities, you face the prospect of serving significant time,” he said. .The Canadian Shooting Sports Association said on November 22 rumours the federal government will ban semi-automatic guns are confirmed after an amendment was proposed to Bill C-21. .READ MORE: Canadian government proposes to ban semi-automatic weapons.The amendment was tabled to ban all semi-automatic rifles and shotguns capable of accepting an external magazine. .Clause 1 in Bill C-21 would be amended to say a rifle or shotgun “that is capable of discharging centre-fire ammunition in a semi-automatic manner and that is designed to accept a detachable cartridge magazine with a capacity greater than five cartridges of the type for which the firearm was originally designed.” The amendment contains a number of firearms identified by name.
