Three men with ties to Lower Mainland gangs are facing charges after violating their firearms prohibitions at a Port Coquitlam gun range.
Matin Pouyan and Bi Dong Lam were arrested before Christmas after they were observed by officers from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit firing weapons at DVC Indoor Shooting Centre on Broadway Street.
Police also say a third man, Donggu 'Kevin' Woo, was at the firing range at the same time. He was taken into custody Tuesday for allegedly violating a similar weapons ban.
"It's perhaps not the smartest thing to be doing," said CFSEU Sgt. Lindsey Houghton. "They know they have firearms prohibitions and they are going into public places to shoot. In the case of Mr. Pouyan, he has been in the media for years. It is not like he is completely unknown."
The 31-year-old Pouyan received his most recent lifetime weapons ban in 2011 but has charges related to firearms dating back as far as 2003, according to Houghton.
Woo, 25, received an eight-month conditional sentence and a 10-year firearms ban following a trafficking conviction in 2007. Lam, 25, received his 10-year firearms prohibition following a conviction for impaired driving and break and enter.
While other media are reporting that the three men are associated to the Fraser Valley's United Nations gang, Houghton would not confirm with what group the men are allied. He said shifting allegiances in the gang world make it difficult to say for certain who is affiliated with which groups.
"A lot of these members have changed their allegiances so many times over the years," he said. "All we are saying is that they have strong gang ties."
The owners of DVC Indoor Shooting did not respond to requests for comment before The Tri-City News' deadline. The business bills itself as the only indoor shooting centre in B.C. that rents firearms to the public.
"This means you do not need a firearms licence to attend the range or try shooting for the first time," according to the company's website.
Houghton told The Tri-City News investigators believe the arrested men rented weapons from the facility rather than bringing in guns from outside, which would have required them to show a licence.
He added that the range was not in violation of any laws when it served the three men.
