The owner of four rifles seized under strange circumstances by Nanaimo RCMP has been found.
The rifles were seized about 4:30 a.m. May 9 when an officer on patrol spotted a man with a blanket slung over his shoulder. A closer look revealed there were rifles being carried inside the blanket, and the officer immediately suspected they were stolen.
The man was arrested and taken to the Nanaimo RCMP detachment.
The 52-year-old owner told police he came forward after a relative said he saw a news report on the rifles. Since he had had some rifles stolen in a May 9 break-and-enter, the owner decided to follow up with police.
After a phone call from the owner, the officer he spoke with was sure the rifles were his. The owner said he had inherited the rifles from his father but wasn’t immediately able to provide the serial numbers.
He eventually managed to find the necessary paperwork and will be taking it to the detachment in order to get the rifles back.
The 23-year-old man found with the rifles is facing charges that include possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of a firearm.
