A dual citizen, who resides in Oliver, is facing nine charges alleging he smuggled handguns across the border in Osoyoos.
Alex Louie, 49, is charged with two counts of smuggling goods into Canada, two counts of posessing a firearm without a license and/or registration, two counts of exchanging, selling or purchasing illegally importing goods and making a false or deceptive statment relating to importing goods among other charges.
Federal Crown council Ashleigh Baylis alleged Louie was entering Canada at the Osoyoos border entry on Feb. 1 around 1:30 a.m. when Canada Border Services agents scanned his driver’s license indicating Louie was a person of interest. Louie’s vehicle was subject to a mandatory inspection.
Louie said he had been in the U.S. for seven hours and denied having any firearms or weapons in the vehicle, Crown said, and officers initially found a ammunition magazine, two trigger locks and two boxes of ammunition inside the vehicle.
Crown alleged two Hi-Point CF-380 handguns were found tied to the undercarriage of Louie’s vehicle with wire. A spool of steel wire, along with a receipt stating it was purchased hours prior for a store in Wenatchee, Crown said. Louie told border agents he owned the vehicle, however Crown said it was found to be owned by a woman living in Westbank.
Louie’s bail hearing was adjourned to Thursday (Feb. 2) in Penticton Provincial Court and he remains in custody.
Louie has a prior criminal record dating back to 1998 including convictions for theft under $5,000 and assaulting a peace officer.