Open in full screen mode The display for this automatic knife has was removed from the Amazon.ca site after the company was contacted by CBC. Radio-Canada Speech synthesis, based on artificial intelligence, makes it possible to generate spoken text from written text. CBC found several weapons prohibited in Canada for sale over the counter on the Canadian website of the giant Amazon, whether automatic knives, electric stun guns or punches Americans. One auto-opening knife model was even labeled a best seller on Amazon, meaning the item had been purchased more than 300 times in the previous month. The product was presented as a camping knife. Amazon.ca removed it from its site after being contacted by CBC. Never mind ;#x27;it is sold as a camping knife, explains lawyer Daniel Goldbloom. It is a knife whose blade comes out when you press a button and it is a prohibited weapon [in Canada]. CBC also found an electric shock device on Amazon that was described as a multi-use flashlight. 
Amazon.ca also removed this ad for a stun gun that was described as an emergency flashlight.
By email, Amazon says it uses technology, in particular, to identify items whose sale is prohibited in the country.
In the case of the automatic knife, spokesperson Barbara Agrait says a bad actor evasively listed the prohibited product in our platform to circumvent our controls.
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The independent vendor in question has lost the right to sell their items on Amazon. The company adds that it is contacting law enforcement to destroy any prohibited product found in one of its warehouses.
Mr. Goldbloom says that it is rare in Canada to see a company brought to justice for the possession or trafficking of prohibited weapons. If there are accusations, it is rather individuals who are targeted, he says.
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) does not compile data on the point of sale of prohibited weapons seized at the border, but says it has laid charges against several individuals last year. In at least two of these cases, the items were shipped from China.
Aaron McCrorie, of the&# x27;ASFC, says he is disappointed, but not surprised to see prohibited weapons displayed on the Internet. He adds that he works closely with Amazon and other platforms to try to prevent illegal goods from being shipped to Canada.
The fact that people can disguise small items and ship them from overseas is a huge challenge for us, he admits il.
During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the CBSA seized 18 359 prohibited weapons (excluding firearms). This year, the agency has already seized more than 21,800.
Me Goldbloom recommends to consumers avoid purchasing any item resembling a weapon online. Ignoring the law is no defense, he says.
Based on information provided by Nicole Brockbank of CBC News