Calgary police have slapped two men with 66 charges after a two-year-long investigation into 3D-printed firearms.
In November 2020, Calgary Police Service investigators became aware of a person believed to be involved in the trafficking of firearms within Calgary. Police said they became aware of this after officers learned the suspect had recently purchased a 3D printer and believed the suspect was using the printer to manufacture firearms.
Police collected additional evidence, and in May 2022, search warrants were conducted at residences located in the 2600 block of Dover Ridge Drive Southeast, as well as the 4300 block of Seton Drive Southeast.
Officers confiscated:
- Three “Ender” 3D printers
- Five complete 3D-printed Glock-style handguns with magazines
- Five 3D-printed Glock-style lower receivers
- Additional firearm parts, including trigger parts, slides and barrels
- Ammunition
- Used shell casings
- Approximately 100 grams of suspected crack cocaine
- Filament for 3D printing and other firearm assembly tools
- Multiple computers and cellphones
“What we are seeing is a definite trend in the use of 3D-printed firearms,” acting Staff Sgt. Ben Lawson said Thursday.
He said police might have seized one or two a year when they first started tracking it in 2020.
“We are up to around 15 so far this year, so that increase has gone from about one per cent up to nine per cent of all crime guns seized in the city.”
Lawson says the 3D guns function the same as regular ones.
Further forensic examination by the CPS forensic firearms and toolmark lab was able to link some of the firearms manufacturing operation to a separate 3D-printed firearm that was seized by CPS officers in May as part of an unrelated investigation.
On Aug. 16, Brandon Vincent-Wagner, 24, and 27-year-old Justin Kumar were arrested and charged.
Vincent-Wagner was charged with 10 counts each of firearms manufacturing, possession of firearms or restricted devices in an unauthorized place and possession of firearms in contravention of a prohibition order, seven counts of firearms trafficking and one count of money laundering — proceeds of crime. He will appear in court on Sept. 30.
Kumar was charged with seven counts each of trafficking firearms, possession of firearms or restricted devices in an unauthorized place, possession of firearms while unauthorized, and careless storage, handling and transportation of firearm. The 27-year-old will appear in court on Sept. 28.
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Lawson said the guns can go for between $2,000 and $5,000 on the black market and each takes about 30 to 40 hours to print. Additional parts that are required, such as triggers and barrels, can be purchased at any gun store.
“Lots of people refer to them as ghost guns and so a ghost gun is a firearm that has never had a serial number so, it’s not traceable,” Lawson said.
According to a news release, as of August, the CPS has seized 1,229 firearms, including 316 firearms “determined to be crime guns.” To get labelled as “crime guns” the guns have to have been unlawfully used, unlawfully possessed and unlawfully stored, including found or abandoned firearms, according to the CPS.
Of the crime guns seized this year, nine per cent were homemade/3D-printed — which is a significant increase from previous years, police said.
Investigators have laid 66 charges against two men believed to be running a firearms production and trafficking operation in Calgary.
The federal government has placed an import ban on restricted handguns. With limited exceptions, individuals and businesses are no longer able to import restricted handguns into Canada.
The Liberal government announced a plan in May to implement a freeze on importing, buying, selling or otherwise transferring handguns to help quell firearm-related violence.
Lawson wouldn’t comment on whether the federal ban would limit the amount of firearms available in Calgary.
“We know that a criminal will attempt to get a firearm in their hands, any method that they can – whether it be from 3D-printed, whether it be from a break and enter, whether it be from smuggled firearms.”
Responding to new trends
Mount Royal University professor Doug King said police forces worldwide are trying to catch up to the new trend of 3D printers being used to manufacture gun parts, as policing has had to with previous trends.
King said it would be difficult to regulate someone’s access to websites that contain printing schematics for the parts, but internet service providers could help with that.
He suggested updates to the Criminal Code to make it illegal to be in possession of such schematic files on a computer
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“It would be an after the fact kind of (charge), that if you’re found to have (those files), you’d be charged under section 99 of the Criminal Code, which is trafficking. Trafficking includes manufacturing,” King said.
He also questioned whether 3D printer manufacturers could restrict the ability to print gun parts in the same way printers and photocopiers cannot reproduce paper currency.
“That would make it impossible to manufacture these parts.”
The MRU professor said CPS is using “good old fashioned policing” as part of an “active suppression mode” on gun violence, the result of public pressure.
“I’m very confident that the Calgary Police Services suppression of gun usage is going to be effective before the end of this year.”
Anyone with information about gun violence or firearm trafficking is asked to contact police by calling 403-266-1234.
–with files from The Canadian Press
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