IMP Aerospace lockdown near Halifax airport leads to charges

Two people are facing multiple weapons charges following a police investigation related to a potential threatat IMP Aerospace and Defence near Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

IMP was locked down for part of Thursday morning after RCMPwarned the company of athreat involving people with connections to the airport community.However, neither police nor IMP would say what the threat entailed.

RCMP increased its presence in and around the airport and the 11 people still on an overnight shiftat the facility leftthe building. IMP also notified its hundreds of daytime staff not to come into work.

• IMP Aerospace near Halifax airport temporarily closed after threat

According to Halifax Regional Police, officers arrested a 48-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman around 9 a.m. Thursdayfollowing the execution of three separate search warrants in Dartmouth and Nine Mile River.

Police seizedammunition, magazines for firearms and a locked gun case believed to contain a firearm, from two of the three properties searched.

The man and woman were each charged with four counts of possession of a prohibited device in relation to four overcapacity cartridge magazines for a rifle.

The man appeared in Dartmouth provincial court Friday morning and the woman is set to appear on April 19.

IMP Aerospace and Defence repairs military aircraft and last week thecompany announced it would be laying off 44 employees.

However Tom Galley, IMP's executive vice-president, said Thursday there was "no connection" between the potential threat andthe layoffs.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police Crime Stoppers.