B.C. man sentenced on drug, firearm charges triggered by silencers found at airport

VANCOUVER — A Nanaimo, B.C., man has been sentenced to five years in prison and a lifetime firearm ban after an investigation triggered by the discovery of illegal silencers at Vancouver International Airport.

The Canada Border Services Agency says officers intercepted three firearm suppressors at the airport in 2022, then in May 2023, CBSA and RCMP members executed search warrants at a residence and two vehicles in Nanaimo.

The CBSA says officers seized illicit drugs and multiple firearms including two untraceable ghost guns, a prohibited shotgun, a rifle with a suppressor and two non-restricted rifles.

It says they also found drugs including 335 grams of cocaine and 119 grams of methamphetamine.

The agency says it charged Cody Edward Ranger with multiple firearm and drug possession charges last May.

It says Ranger pleaded guilty to one count of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of unauthorized possession of a loaded firearm in Nanaimo Provincial Court last Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.

The Canadian Press