SAANICHNEWS In their own words
Youth at risk
A new documentary explores the state of homelessness in the Capital Region. Arts, Page A16
Saanich Commonwealth Place helps steer kids away from troubled waters. News, Page A3
Friday, March 23, 2012
Gray Rothnie
Connected to More®
250 744 7034
www.graymatters.ca
Check us out on Twitter and Facebook and watch for breaking news at WWW.SAANICHNEWS.COM
Don Denton/News staff
Fair features fossilized femur Tom Cockburn, vice-chair of the Victoria Palaeontology Society, shows off a Hadrosaur femur bone inside the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. The society hosts the 16th annual Fossil Fair on March 24 and 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the sanctuary. See story on Page A4.
Saanich gun embezzler charged with firearms trafficking Kyle Slavin News staff
The Saanich gun enthusiast who stole more than a quarter-milliondollars worth of firearms and hunting gear from his employer now faces weapons trafficking charges, after police learned he sold a number of the stolen guns. More than 159 weapons were recovered last month at the home of Lucky Jhagra, a former employee at Island Outfitters. Police allege Jhagra purchased the items on behalf of the store, then forged transfer papers to add them to his personal collection.
Saanich police this week said several other guns taken from Island Outfitters were not recovered because they had been sold online. Six of those weapons were tracked to homes in the Capital Region, said Sgt. Dean Jantzen, adding police are in the process of recovering the firearms. More guns, however, were illegally sold to buyers outside of B.C. Recovering those will require the assistance of other law enforcement agencies in Canada. Jantzen said tracking all the stolen items has been a “logistical nightmare” for detectives, as well
Kyle Slavin/News staff
Saanich police display some of the 160-plus firearms allegedly embezzled by Lucky Jhagra. as B.C.’s Chief Firearms Officers. However, the fact that Jhagra had registered all the stolen weapons with the Canadian Firearms Registry has unexpectedly helped in
the investigation. The House of Commons passed a bill in February to kill the registry, which will officially come to an end after a vote by the Conservative-controlled Senate. “Every single one of these (trafficking) charges stems from records obtained through the registry,” Jantzen said. Ownership of all the guns sold online was transferred using the proper documentation. “The stolen items were duly documented and registered, so they are all quite traceable,” he said. The new weapons trafficking
charges were approved last Friday, and a warrant for Jhagra’s arrest was issued. He turned himself in to Saanich police on Monday, and was expected to appear in court Tuesday. Among the items sold online were pistols, rifles and shotguns. Firearms trafficking comes with a mandatory three-year minimum prison sentence, if the suspect is found guilty in court. Jhagra, 40, now faces four counts of weapons trafficking, and two each of theft over $5,000 and possessing a weapon obtained through an offence. kslavin@saanichnews.com
OPEN HOUSE SAT 1-3
4032 Malton Road RE/MAX Camosun 250.744.3301
MLS 303597
www.crozierandmarchant.com