3D printing of weapons a current and future threat
3D printed weapons is no longer a matter of fiction. Connection and cooperation between law enforcement and the industry/private sector is needed to identify and monitor the developments around 3D printed firearms, a Europol conference in the Hague, the Netherlands concluded. An international network of experts on 3D printed firearms will be created, tasked with keeping law enforcement agencies abreast of developments in 3D printed firearms.
The conference was attended by some 120 participants from 20 countries comprising law enforcement professionals, ballistic experts, forensic scientists, policy makers and academia..
The development of 3D printing of firearms is a current and future threat. International cooperation therefore is crucial to be able to counter, said Chief Constable Gerda van Leeuwen at the Dutch National Police.
The team leader of Europol’s Analysis Project Weapons and Explosives, Martin van der Meij, stressed that the threat posed by 3D printed weapons is very much on the radar of Europol, amid the growing number of such firearms being seized in investigations across Europe in recent years.
In 2019, two people were shot dead in Halle, Germany, by a perpetrator using a homemade weapon, based on a blueprint downloaded from the internet to partly manufacture the weapon with a 3D printer.
In April 2021, the Spanish National Police raided and dismantled an illegal workshop in the Canary Islands which was producing 3D printed weapons. Two 3D printers were seized, alongside gun parts, a replica assault rifle and several manuals on urban guerrilla warfare and white supremacist literature. The owner of the workshop was arrested and charged with illegal possession of weapons.
A month later, two men and one woman were arrested in the town of Keighley in the United Kingdom as part of an investigation into right-wing terrorism. All three were charged with possessing components of 3D printed weapons.
Moonshot News is an independent European news website for all IT, Media and Advertising professionals, powered by women and with a focus on driving the narrative for diversity, inclusion and gender equality in the industry.
Our mission is to provide top and unbiased information for all professionals and to make sure that women get their fair share of voice in the news and in the spotlight!
We produce original content, news articles, a curated calendar of industry events and a database of women IT, Media and Advertising associations.
