Nearly 30 charges laid on Ontario man after police apparel, weapons seized from Vaughan residence

A 38-year-old man from Ontario is facing more than two dozen charges after police seized hundreds of law enforcement uniforms, including badges and identity cards, from a residence in the Greater Toronto Area as part of a cross-border firearms investigation.

According to the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), officials working at the Vancouver International Mail Centre intercepted a package containing a prohibited weapon in March. The package was addressed to a residence in Vaughan, Ont.

CBSA said investigators were able to link the incident to two others, one in October 2021 and another in February 2023, during the investigation of which officers seized a number of items, including counterfeit Canadian police badges, several counterfeit police warrant cards, stencils of Alberta’s provincial emblem, and numerous patches depicting law enforcement, intelligence, military logos, and prohibited weapons.

As part of the investigation into the package intercepted in March, CBSA officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Vaughan on May 24. There, officers discovered numerous “police marked paraphernalia.” This included the components to a police uniform, including ballistic vests, identity cards, and badges.

Officials told reporters on Wednesday that over 400 pieces were seized.

“We were surprised once we made entry into his residence with the extents of some of the paraphernalia that was found,” CBSA Ontario Firearms Smuggling Enforcement Team Director Joshua Newby said to reporters Wednesday. “That's a significant amount that I would say for our search warrants.”

Newby said they believe the items were ordered online and originated in China. It’s unclear how the uniforms were being used, but CBSA believes the vast majority are counterfeit.

“I think it would be a bit presumptuous for us to know what he was doing, if he was doing anything with those uniforms. But the investigation is still underway.”

Police also found multiple firearms—both real and replica—over 70 rounds of ammunition, five magazines, and an unspecified number of stun guns, brass knuckles, and prohibited knives.

More than 70 grams of cocaine was also seized, along with $60,000 CAD in counterfeit currency.

A suspect, identified by CBSA as Vaughan resident Mojeeb Ahmad Goyaya, has been arrested and remains in custody. He is facing 29 charges, including smuggling prohibited weapons into Canada, possession of the purpose of trafficking, and possession of counterfeit money.

The charges have not been tested in court.