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What are “ghost guns” and what is Canada doing about 3D printed guns? -My homeland

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A weapon found in the backpack of Luigi Mangione, charged in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, may have been a 3D-printed gun — a type of nearly untraceable weapon that can be made at home, US law enforcement said. .

This type of weapon is often known as a “ghost gun,” and police on both sides of the border say it has become a growing threat in local communities.

According to the Canadian government, a “ghost gun” is a term used to describe a privately manufactured firearm (PMF) of unknown origin, and therefore untraceable.

in Parliamentary committee notes Prepared by Public Safety Canada in 2023, ministry officials said the “ghost guns” are unmarked, often manufactured or assembled illegally from parts, and either do not have serial numbers or other markings or have been “obliterated.” This definition.

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“For this reason, even though they are elusive and unknown to law enforcement or regulatory bodies that review firearms manufacturing, they become ghosts on the street,” Supt. Mark Kochlin, CEO of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT), told Global News.

“That in itself is an attractive commodity for the criminal element out there.”

ALERT was part of a multi-provincial task force last year led by Quebec Provincial Police that carried out simultaneous raids across eight provinces targeting manufacturers of 3D-printed guns, or “ghost guns.”

This led to the arrest of 45 people and the confiscation of 440 weapons, including some “ghost guns.”

Police said that some of the detainees have links to organized crime networks.

These weapons can be made with parts that a person can put together, and in some cases even with tools that can be made yourself or printed at home using a 3D printer.

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According to the parliamentary committee’s observations, specially manufactured firearms and receivers — which police often consider an important part of building a ghost gun — can be assembled into “fully functional firearms” using commercially manufactured, but unregulated, parts such as barrels and pistols. Slides.

Hank Idsinga, a retired Toronto police inspector and crime commentator for Global News, said 3D printing has created a difficult situation for police.

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“It started to become an issue when 3D printing took off and people could 3D print the receiving part of a firearm and then obtain the other components without a license and then assemble them and have a fully functioning firearm,” he said. .


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Police in Alberta face a worrying new challenge with the rise of ‘ghost guns’


Although receivers were the primary items seized, Koechlin said the market is evolving.

“I think the imagination is the limit of what you can probably produce in a 3D printed environment,” he said.

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According to the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU-BC) in British Columbia, legal 3D printers can be used to manufacture up to 80% of working firearms with easy access to online data files.

The remaining 20 per cent can then be supplemented with parts such as barrels and triggers that can be purchased legally – although a change introduced to the criminal code under previous Bill C-21 now makes it necessary to have a valid firearms license to obtain a gun. Fiery. Barrels and pistol slides.

Niagara Region Police Chief Bill Forde added that the need for legitimate parts like barrels can sometimes be what alerts law enforcement, prompting criminal entities to find other ways to avoid detection.

“It is inevitable that those who use it illegally will try to find another way to do so, to avoid being investigated, arrested or subject to prosecution,” said Forde, who was also co-president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Special Purpose Committee on Firearms.

Cochlin added that ALERT has not only seen single-shot weapons that look like a “toy of different colors,” but assault rifles with extended magazines made in 3D-printed environments.

In Mangione’s case, police said the silencer used with the gun he allegedly had was also 3D printed.

What laws are in place to limit “ghost guns”?

It is legal in the United States to manufacture a firearm for personal use, and “ghost gun” kits were available online without a background check or age verification until about two years ago.

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After these weapons were found at more crime scenes, the Biden administration moved to add age and background check requirements for buyers. It was appealed and referred to the Supreme Court. Despite the court’s reference They are likely to adhere to the regulation when they make a ruling.

Under Bill C-21 in Canada, Which received royal approval one year ago, Any “illegally manufactured firearm” such as a “ghost gun” is now defined as a prohibited firearm, making it illegal not only to possess such a weapon, but also to manufacture one without issuing the appropriate license.

But in addition to making such a weapon, possessing or accessing computer data that can be used with a 3D printer, metal milling machine or other computer system in order to manufacture or trade a firearm or prohibited device is also against the law in Canada.

This means that clicking to download a file that enables you to use a 3D printer to make a firearm, such as a gun receiver, is illegal.


Click to play the video:


3D-printed weapons seized in a major RCMP operation


“If the legislation prevents even one weapon from being made and placed in the hands of someone who should not have it in their hands, then that is part of the solution,” Idsinga said.

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In a statement to Global News, Gabriel Burnett, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Dominique LeBlanc, said the measures in the bill enable law enforcement and government to “better combat ghost weapons.”

He added that the RCMP is working with Public Safety Canada, Statistics Canada, police and provincial partners to enhance national data collection related to firearms crimes, including those involving the PMF.

Officials point out that there are still challenges to be resolved, such as whether it is just a special receiver mixed with legal parts or if other types of weapons could be considered a “ghost gun.”


But law enforcement officials also say that although possession and distribution of computer files is now illegal in Canada, they can be obtained or trafficked from other countries.

In the United States, federal legislation has been introduced to make it illegal to post instructions on 3D printing a firearm, but has not passed Congress.

According to Forde, law enforcement authorities continue to work across borders to address what has become a “transnational crime,” and are looking at different tools to address what has become an evolving issue.

He added: “There will inevitably be findings in court that will help determine our way forward.” “We will follow the evidence and try to be professionally aggressive in trying to reinforce the community’s need to stay safe and our efforts to keep them safe.”



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