The Montreal police (SPVM) squad tasked with investigating firearms trafficking (EILTA) spearheaded a Canada-wide operation that resulted in the seizure of hundreds of weapons, including 3D-printed guns.
More than 20 police forces across the country conducted 64 searches and arrested 45 suspects on Monday.
Police say it's very hard to trace 3D-printed firearms because there are no serial numbers, making it more difficult to know where the weapon came from, who bought it and what it was used for.
Police did say the weapons are being built locally.
"We're not having people from different countries coming into Canada to build guns," said chief inspector Benoit Dube. "It's really Canadians doing that. They have the advantage of printing 3D off the net and buying all of their stuff. It's really Canadians building guns... Those 3D guns are crime guns."
Police seized the following in the raids:
- 62 handguns
- 71 3D-printed handguns
- Two 3D-printed longuns
- One machine pistol
- 52 3D printers
- 32 3D-printed magazines
- 87 silencers (63 of them were 3D-printed)
- 176 3D-printed firearm bodies
The 19 searches in Quebec were in Montreal, Berthierville, New Carlisle, Pont-Rouge, Repentigny, Saint-Jean-de-Matha, Sainte-Angèle-de-Monnoir, Gatineau, Saint-Calixte, Quebec City and Saint-Alexandre-d'Iberville.
According to Dube, "this operation demonstrates how Canadian police organizations are joining forces to combat the emerging phenomenon of homemade firearms."
"The phenomenon is interprovincial and does not stop at borders, nor does our cooperation and our desire to ensure the safety of our populations," he said.
The federal gun control bill, C-21, is in its second reading in the Senate. The bill would make it illegal to possess, distribute or publish blueprints for 3D guns.
Other searches took place in Ontario, Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
In addition to SPVM officers, the weapons squad includes Surete du Quebec (SQ), RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency officers.
