ONTARIO-The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today that an arrest has been made following an investigation by the CBSA Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team (OFSET). This specialized team of criminal investigators, intelligence analysts, and intelligence officers are dedicated to investigating firearms smuggling in Ontario.
In May and June of this year, border services officers in Windsor, Toronto and Montreal intercepted four parcels containing firearms parts and tools for manufacturing firearms. The parcels were being imported from the United States and were all destined for the same address in Windsor, Ontario. As a result, CBSA’s OFSET initiated an investigation into the importation of firearms parts into Canada.
On July 17, 2025, following an extensive investigation by OFSET, a search warrant was executed at an address in Windsor, Ontario. Police say the following items were seized:
- 48 firearms;
- 30 prohibited auto sears used to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns;
- various firearms parts;
- 175 magazines of which 104 were prohibited, including 4 x 50 round drum magazines;
- approximately 17,000 rounds of ammunition.
Thirty-year-old Hengwei Zhong, a resident of Windsor, Ontario, has been arrested and charged by the CBSA under the Customs Act and Criminal Code.
- one count of smuggling a controlled/regulated device
- one count of smuggling a prohibited device
- one count of unauthorized importation of a prohibited device
- one count of attempt to manufacture a firearm
- two counts of possession of a prohibited device without a licence
- three counts of improper storage of a firearm
- three counts of possession of a firearm at a place other than indicated on a licence
The charges are subject to validation by the court.
The Windsor Police Emergency Services Unit assisted in conducting a tactical entry into the residence during the search warrant.
Hengwei Zhong is scheduled to appear in court on September 29, 2025.
