Two men have been arrested by Calgary police on suspicion of using a 3-D printer to create “ghost firearms” and selling them to criminals.Over 300 of the 1,229 weapons that Calgary police have collected this year are thought to have been used in crimes.9 percent of those so-called “crime firearms” were created by hand or 3D printed, a huge rise from the previous year.
Acting Staff Sergeant Ben Lawson stated on Thursday that the usage of 3-D printed weaponry is clearly a trend.He said that when they initially began monitoring it in 2020, police may have apprehended one or two every year.”We have captured roughly 15 weapons so far this year, up from about 1% to 9% of all crime guns in the city,” the author says.
The 3-D firearms work in the same way as conventional ones, according to Staff Sgt. Lawson.Following an investigation that started in November of last year, police have filed 66 accusations against two people.Late next month, Justin Kumar, 27, and Brandon Vincent-Wager, 24, are scheduled to face in court on charges related to the manufacture, trafficking, and possession of guns and banned devices.
Five finished 3-D Glock-style handguns with magazines, three 3-D printers, ammo, and extra weapons parts were all found during a police search in May.The cost of printing each pistol, according to Staff Sgt. Lawson, is between $30 and 40 hours, and they may sell for between $2,000 and $5,000 on the underground market. Any gun shop will sell you the necessary extra parts, such as triggers and barrels.
Many people call them “ghost weapons,” which are defined as firearms without serial numbers that cannot be traced, according to Staff Sgt. Lawson.For prohibited pistols, the federal government has imposed an import prohibition. With a few exceptions, it is no longer possible for people or companies to bring prohibited handguns into Canada.
To assist reduce gun-related violence, the Liberal administration unveiled a plan in May to impose a ban on the importation, purchase, sale, and other transfers of handguns.In Calgary, 97 gunshots have been reported so far in 2022, surpassing the 95 shootings reported in all of 2021. Mark Neufeld, the police chief, described it as “difficult” and “unusual.”
Regarding whether the federal ban will reduce the number of firearms available in Calgary, Staff Sgt. Lawson declined to comment.”We know that a criminal will try to obtain a firearm using any manner that they can, whether it be through a break-in, smuggled guns, or 3-D printing.”
