An Oliver man is facing nine charges alleging he smuggled handguns across the border at Osoyoos.

Alex Louie born in 1967 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.

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 according to the Crown.

Louie told the court he had been in the U.S. for seven hours and denied having any firearms or weapons in the vehicle 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. living in Westbank.

File #: 45572-2C 1-9

Next court appearance Feb 8th

Remains in custody

Source: Black Press digital