#CraftMadeWeapons

The London Metropolitan Police Force announced last week that they had raided what they described as a ‘suspected makeshift 3D firearm factory’. The Metropolitan Police claimed that the raid led to one of the largest seizures of 3D-printed firearm components in the UK – ever. Craft-made firearms components were found during a raid at a home in North West London on Friday, 7 October. The raid was part of an operation involving officers from the Metropolitan Police Force’s ‘Operation Viper’ team. The Viper team take the lead on intelligence relating to illegal firearms use and manufacture.

On Friday Japan was shaken by the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was shot from behind by a gunman who was arrested at the scene. Abe was rushed to the hospital but died later.

An illegal firearm manufacturing and supply ring across the country was broken up by police in Turkey last month involving the arrest of 106 suspects across 10 provinces. Along with smuggling guns and adapting blank firing pistols, it appears in some instances (as has been seen in the past) entirely new pistols were being manufactured semi-professionally, interestingly using methods such as casting. Turkey is home to quite a large number of gun manufacturers, people currently employed or having worked in the industry likely to be able to employ the skills and know-how to set up small illegal cottage industries mimicking industrial methods.