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Jun 11, 2026 2:52 PM - Connect Newsroom - Ramandeep Kaur
Most firearms linked to criminal activity in Canada during 2023 and 2024 were obtained within the country rather than smuggled from abroad, according to RCMP internal reports.
The reports indicate that nearly all traced long guns and handguns were either legally purchased in Canada before being diverted to criminal use or were reported stolen. The findings are based on firearm tracing data collected by the RCMP.
According to the reports, investigators completed examinations of 6,951 firearms in 2024. Of those, 4,197 were identified as having been used in criminal activity. Authorities were able to determine the original source of 2,814 of those firearms.
The data shows that 71 per cent of traced long guns originated within Canada. For handguns, 17 per cent were determined to have been smuggled into the country from abroad.
The reports also identified 67 privately manufactured firearms among the weapons traced in 2024. These firearms, commonly referred to as "ghost guns," are typically assembled without serial numbers, making them more difficult for investigators to track.
