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accident proneEXPLOSIVES IN THE MAIL
Customs finds rocket launcher, grenades(Toronto Sun Article)
A rocket launcher capable of shooting down an aircraft was among 14 caches of weapons seized entering the country through a Mississauga postal plant(WLPP, TEO). The explosive weapons, which include grenades, shell casings and munitions, were among 14 shipments intercepted between Apr/2001 and Mar/2003, Customs said yesterday.
The German-made rocket launcher, which is designed to be fired from the shoulder and can be outfitted with heat-seeking missiles, was seized at the Gateway Postal Facility in Aug/2001, the agency revealed in a hazardous mail report to employees.
Customs said the weapon arrived by aircraft from Germany and was desined for Quebec. The names of the importer and exporter of the weapons wasn't released.
Officers said the Mississaga plant was evacuted when the weapon was found in a wooden crate. Peel police destroyed it.
Customs spokesman John McCormack refused to comment on the seizures yesterday.
Emerson Waugh, of the Customs Excise Union, said the weapons pose concerns for both national security and the health and safety of officers, who have to open and inspect incoming packages and crates.
"A lot of people like Custom's and postal workers can be injured if one explodes," Waugh said. "This shows the vulnerability that now exists."
Even though most of the weapons have their explosives and firing pins removed, officers said they still contain trace amounts of primers or detonation devices that can explode on aircraft.
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Updated: Friday, 10 October 2003 7:08 PM EDT
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