RESPONSE TO BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3 REQUEST:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001329 SIPDIS STATE FOR MP/DTCC BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR BALLARD, VANCOUVER FOR ALVARSON AND BENSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CA ETTC KOMC SUBJECT: RESPONSE TO BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3 REQUEST: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK OF LICENSE 050113948 REF: (A) STATE 081385 (B) 06 VANCOUVER 500 ¶1. SUMMARY: Per reftel A, Consulate General Vancouver investigated Paul Reibin, dba Range Sports Unlimited (RSU), regarding his bona fides to export munitions as identified under application 050113948. Mr. Reibin is in possession of a Business Firearms License issued by the Canadian Firearms Centre (CFC) permitting him to sell non-prohibited ammunition that was verified by a CFC officer. End Summary. ¶2. Congen Vancouver Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco Assistant Country Attach (ATA) Terry Alverson and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Attach Kevin Benson conducted a site visit at RSU and interviewed Reibin in Kamloops, British Columbia on October 2, 2008. Reibin resides and conducts business in a single-family home located in a residential neighborhood at 845 Pleasant Street, Kamloops, BC, V2C-3B5. This location is confirmed as RSU,s registered place of business on both Reibin,s Firearms License, #10008675.0010, and Industry Canada,s website. ¶3. Reibin stated that he retired from Canada Border Services Agency, formerly known as Customs & Excise, in 1988. He has been active in competitive rifle shooting for many years and is a member of the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association and competes internationally. ¶4. Reibin stated that he started his firearms business in 1975 and that he has held a business firearms license since ¶1990. He conducts all firearms business at his residence by appointment only. He advertises in firearms literature ) a Google search located his business on an &Adams Lake Rifle Barrels8 website, www.riflebarrels.ca/html/links and contacts.html. Reibin stated that much of his business is with friends and associates. The majority of his business deals with firearm actions and parts and that he would like to sell more ammunition. He estimated his current inventory to be three rifle actions; 2,500 bullets and 1,000 empty ammunition brass. He stated that he currently owns approximately 10 personal firearms. ¶5. Reibin stated that he became acquainted with Berger Bullets (BB),identified at the seller in reftel, via an associate on England,s shooting team who gave him two boxes of their bullets. Reibin wants to import the bullets to sell to competitive and sport shooters in Canada. Reibin stated that he has no intention to export the bullets from Canada and realized that any subsequent export is not authorized. ¶6. Although no specific point of contact was provide for BB, Reibin stated that he had contacted the company to express his interest in purchasing bullets from them. A BB representative advised Reibin that prior to any order being processed that he would have to complete an export application. Subsequently Reibin received documentation that he filled out and returned to BB however he was not able to produce a copy of those documents. Reibin stated that he has no pending purchase orders with BB and that if, and when, his application is approved, he will order only amounts necessary to fill customer requests. ¶7. In an apparent memory lapse, when asked whether he had ever before applied to export munitions from the U.S., Reibin stated that he was denied approval to export several RPA Qstated that he was denied approval to export several RPA rifle actions approximately five or six years ago although he did not know why. COMMENT: The application was actually submitted and denied in 2006, reftel B. END COMMENT. ¶8. On October 6, 2008 ATA Alverson spoke with Firearms Officer (FO) Ken Kimball, CFC in Kamloops. Kimball has dealt with Reibin in an official capacity for roughly 10 years. Kimball knows Reibin to import RPA rifle actions for use in the assembly and manufacture of competitive shooting rifles which he sells. At the time of Reibin,s last inspection, June 3, 2004, his inventory consisted of one .22 rifle and 15 RPA rifle actions. Kimball stated that the security at Reibin,s residence is adequate for the business he conducts and that Reibin has two gun vaults in the basement and another in a structure behind the house. Kimball stated that OTTAWA 00001329 002 OF 002 he has never noted a negative finding in his review of Reibin,s business practices and that Reibin has been generally cooperative. Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada BREESE