The RCMP discovered they weren't the only ones in town packing electrical weapons when they found an abandoned Taser-like device in downtown Whitehorse last Friday.

The conducted energy device was found indoors, police spokesman Sgt. Mark Groves said today, in a publicly accessible building. It was found by a citizen and quickly reported to police, who picked it up just before midnight.

The stun gun didn't have any batteries in it when found, but when officers put some in, the weapon was fully operational.

According to Groves, the stun gun has an output of 950,000 volts, but he had no information on the number of amps - the actual shocking power - it carries.

According to the South African website that sells the weapon - brand named Viper Defender - the weapon is non-lethal and will not cause permanent damage because of its "low amperage."

It is marketed as a self-defence tool that will cause "extreme pain, muscle spasm, disorientation and loss of balance" when used against an attacker.

Although the website announces that no licence is required, the weapon is illegal in Canada. Police have made some efforts to find out who left it behind, said Groves.

"From the onset, we have reviewed files to try and find out who owned this before it came to our knowledge," Groves said of the investigation. "That being said, our main concern was the public coming in contact with this."

The sergeant said there have been no recent complaints or reports of a crime where a stun gun was used.