5 people arrested and 6 guns seized in North Preston, N.S., police raid: RCMP

Five people are facing multiple weapons charges following an early morning police raid in North Preston, N.S.

RCMP say its Emergency Response Team along with Halifax police executed a search warrant at a house on Cain Street around 5 a.m. Monday, as part of an investigation into prohibited firearms possession.

At the house, officers arrested five people from North Preston in relation to the search warrant: four men ages 24, 25, 27, and 60, and a 56-year-old woman.

Police say during the search they seized ammunition, a holster, body armour, two over capacity magazines, three handguns and three long guns; adding some of the firearms seized were loaded and none were legally stored.

The five people are facing charges of:

• careless use of a firearm (two counts)
• unsafe storage of a firearm
• possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
• unauthorized possession of a firearm
• unauthorized possession of a firearm while knowing it's possession is unauthorized
• possession of prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition
• possession of weapon obtained by commission of offence
• tampering with serial number on firearm

The 25-year-old man is facing additional charges of:

• failure to comply with conditions of a release order
• possession of a firearm contrary to prohibition order

The 60-year-old man and 56-year-old woman were later released at the scene. Police say the other three men were held in custody and were set to appear in Dartmouth provincial court Monday at 1:30 p.m.