A former Member of Parliament, Inky Mark, faced an additional 26 charges in connection with weapons offenses following the discovery of 445 firearms and 26.5 kilograms of explosives at his residence in Manitoba. The 78-year-old was rearrested by the RCMP on August 12 as part of an ongoing investigation.
Initially arrested on July 7 during a search of his home near Dauphin, Mark was charged with 12 weapons-related offenses, including firearms trafficking, illegal possession of a firearm with a tampered serial number, unsafe firearms storage, careless firearm use, and possession of prohibited devices. The RCMP reported seizing 445 firearms during their processing of the evidence, with 295 found to be stored unsafely, 10 prohibited, and 11 restricted or prohibited firearms not registered to Mark.
Moreover, authorities discovered 26.5 kilograms of explosives, exceeding the legal possession limit. Mark now faces a total of 38 charges, with the new charges including weapons trafficking, possession of prohibited weapons, possession of restricted firearms with ammunition, and unauthorized possession of firearms.
Among the items seized were Tannerite explosives, a type of reactive target used for firearms practice, exceeding the legal possession limit of six kilograms. Mark admitted to illegally transferring three guns but denied involvement in firearms trafficking. He explained that he had been lawfully collecting firearms since the 1970s, though changes in gun laws over the years rendered some of his weapons illegal.
Additionally, the RCMP alleged that Mark provided a firearm and ammunition to an unlicensed individual in 2024-2025, which led to a weapons trafficking charge. The recipient did not use the weapon, and it was later recovered by investigators. Mark’s legal issues come after a long political career that saw him serve as an MP for the Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa riding from 1997 to 2010, representing various political parties before running unsuccessfully as an independent in 2015. Prior to his federal career, he was the mayor of Dauphin in 1994.