Montreal, Quebec
On October 22, 2025, 43-year-old Stéphane McCullough appeared at the Sherbrooke courthouse, where he pleaded guilty to six counts of importing, possessing and manufacturing prohibited weapons and firearms. He was sentenced to 48 months in prison.
The charges against him stem from a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) criminal investigation launched on April 21, 2025, after a package addressed to him was intercepted at the International Mail Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. Declared as having a flashlight inside, the package actually contained a taser and three probe cartridges. This is a prohibited firearm under the Criminal Code. Stéphane McCullough has a criminal record involving weapons and drugs and is permanently prohibited from possessing weapons.
As a result of searches conducted on May 6, 2025, by CBSA investigators, with assistance by the Sûreté du Québec, at the accused's home in Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton, evidence was gathered and seized, including two prohibited firearms (taser dart probes), ammunition, three prohibited stun guns, 3D printers and five grams of cocaine. Stéphane McCullough was arrested and taken into custody the same day.
Since January 2024, the Quebec Region Criminal Investigations Section has conducted 24 investigations into the importation of prohibited weapons and devices. In the same period, charges were laid in 18 cases and 12 individuals were convicted. A number of investigations are still underway, while others are at various stages of the judicial process. For example:
- CBSA seizes large quantity of firearms and prohibited weapons during a search in Gatineau
- Individual pleads guilty to importing and possessing firearms
- CBSA investigation into prohibited devices leads to charges against residents of Laval and Saint-Eustache
- CBSA seizes large quantity of firearms during a search in St-Anicet
The CBSA is committed to protecting Canadians by keeping firearms and prohibited weapons out of our communities and conducts investigations into those who commit criminal offences under border legislation, often in cooperation with provincial and national law enforcement partners. In Quebec, the CBSA has put together the Weapons Smuggling Integrated Enforcement Team (WSIET), which takes a proactive approach to quickly identifying the key players involved in weapons smuggling and putting an end to their illegal activities.
