The owner of a gun store in northwest Edmonton said a number of deactivated machine guns were stolen from his business.
The owner of the Sebarms, located on 115 Avenue and 149 Street, said his store was broken into Saturday at about 5 a.m. James Osadczuk said he was in Red Deer at the time, and received a call from his alarm company, telling him someone had broken in.
Osadczuk said the suspects took six deactivated machine guns. One of the weapons, a MAG 58, is worth about $14,000. It’s believed about $45,000 in deactivated firearms were taken in the break-in.
“The gun is actually worth more deactivated than it is live,” Osadczuk said.
The weapons are valuable due to Canada’s strict gun laws.
“If I had one of these that work I can’t sell it to you,” Osadczuk said. “It has to be deactivated before it gets sold.”
The thieves reportedly also stole more than a dozen pairs of military surplus pants. Osadczuk said it appeared the thieves also tried to steal working firearms, but could not get the guns out of the locking gun racks they are kept in.
Police said there are no suspects in the investigation, and they’re relieved the only firearms stolen can’t be fired.
“I would like to emphasize that the firearms are decommissioned, that means they’re inoperable, and this process cannot be reversed so they wouldn’t be able to shoot any kind of bullet,” EPS spokesperson Cheryl Sheppard said.
With files from David Ewasuk
