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VICTORIA, B.C. — The high-speed boat filled with heavily armed sailors skims through the waves, then jams up alongside an unidentified ship that has entered Canadian waters.

The sailors scramble to board the vessel and quickly fan out. One group searches cabins and passageways; another is confronted by a man with a pistol. The gunman ignores orders to drop his weapon as Canadian sailors train their C8 assault rifles on him.

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There is a crackle of gunfire and the man slumps to the deck, hit several times by bullets from three C8s. The sailors move past his crumpled body to continue searching the ship.

Minutes later, the gunman stands up: his heavily padded uniform has protected him from the strikes of the low-powered, simulated bullets fired by the sailors.

This is a practice exercise for a new Royal Canadian Navy unit designed to deal with drug dealers, pirates and terrorists on the high seas.

The Citizen was given an exclusive look at the unit — the Maritime Tactical Operations Group (MTOG) — which is still in its infancy but is expected to expand to between 85 and 100 personnel over the next several years.

“By creating a small unit, we’re able to be flexible and adjust to evolving threats,” explains Lt.-Cmdr. Wil Lund, the officer in charge of MTOG.