Police said Wednesday they arrested 45 people and seized 440 weapons in simultaneous raids across eight provinces, targeting manufacturers of 3D-printed or 鈥済host鈥� guns, which are increasingly showing up at crime scenes in Canada.
Authorities held a news conference in Montreal to announce the results of Tuesday鈥檚 operation, dubbed Reproduction, led by the Quebec provincial police and involving about 20 other forces, including the RCMP and the Ontario Provincial Police.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if out of this investigation that we鈥檝e seen specifics on where these firearms are headed; however, we know that they鈥檙e crime guns,鈥� said OPP chief superintendent Paul McKay, adding that there is a growing concern across Canada about untraceable 鈥済host guns,鈥� which are 3D-printed without serial numbers or assembled at home from parts collected from various sources.
鈥淲e know that they鈥檙e created for a specific purpose 鈥� and you know they鈥檙e not intended for sport shooters or anything like that 鈥� it鈥檚 a criminal intent and they鈥檙e made for a specific purpose to be put in the hands of criminal organizations.鈥�
Tuesday鈥檚 cross-country raids were co-ordinated by a Quebec police unit 鈥� L鈥櫭塹uipe int茅gr茅e de lutte au trafic d鈥檃rmes 鈥� that was formed in 2021 to fight gun crime, and includes officers from the provincial police, Montreal police, the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency.
Quebec provincial police Chief Insp. Benoit Dub茅 called the operation one of the largest he鈥檚 taken part in involving weapons seizures. On Tuesday, police executed 64 search warrants across Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. They seized 440 guns, including 3D-printed handguns, long guns and silencers, as well as other guns and 3D printers.
Dub茅 said ghost guns are becoming increasingly prevalent during weapons seizures, accounting for up to 25 per cent of guns seized during police operations so far this year. He said those arrested Tuesday ranged in age from 16 to 77 years old with some having links to organized crime networks.
The investigation began with a Canada Border Services Agency probe triggered in April 2021 after intelligence officers followed up on the importation of a set of weapon rails 鈥� brackets used to mount accessories on guns. These rails were allegedly made for 3D-printed weapons that came in from a U.S.-based exporter previously identified by the agency, Adriano Giannini, a CBSA official, told reporters Wednesday.
In September 2021, the importer was identified as a resident of the Montreal area who authorities said had a criminal record and was subject to a weapons prohibition order. Quebec provincial police got involved in November 2022, their main target being a Montreal man who was sending gun parts across Canada that were procured from Asia.
鈥淎nd when we saw that our main target was sending those rails all over Canada, we got into contact with 鈥� our community of police officers,鈥� Dub茅 said.
Those arrested could face charges of production, possession and distribution of firearms.
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