Thursday, 23 January 2025

Alarming increase in 3D-printed 'ghost guns' has authorities on alert.

 Extract from ABC News

Alarming increase in 3D-printed 'ghost guns' has authorities on alert.

When Luigi Mangione allegedly shot dead healthcare executive Brian Thompson in the middle of a New York street, police say he used a 3D-printed gun with a 3D-printed silencer attached to it.

Closer to home, police investigating the attempted murder of a man on Queensland's Fraser Coast earlier this month allegedly uncovered a 3D-printed gun linked to the shooting.

There are concerns over the alarming rise of homemade guns, also known as ghost guns, which don't have serial numbers and are hard to trace.

Various 3D printed guns sitting on a large table.

Blueprints for 3D-printed guns can be found online, (ABC News: Michael Nudl)

Detective Inspector Brad Phelps from Queensland's Crime and Intelligence Command Drug Squad said privately made firearms, or 3D-printed guns, are cheap and easy to make.

They've even seen the weapons advertised for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

"We no longer regard privately made firearms as an emerging issue in Australia — they are here — so we now have to work out how we can combat the risk that they pose," Detective Inspector Phelps said.

"These weapons in the wrong hands cause untold harm to the community."

'You wouldn't be able to tell the difference'

An entire firearm can be made using 3D-printed technology and blueprints that can be found online, almost like a dress pattern.

But others use a hybrid model, which combines traditional gun parts such as a barrel with 3D-printed material.

Brad Phelps

Detective Inspector Brad Phelps says 3D printed guns are being sold on Facebook Marketplace. (ABC News: Curtis Rodda)

Detective Inspector Phelps said privately made firearms had changed over the years.

"They were simplistic when they first started being produced but over time the technology has improved and the quality of those firearms has improved," he said. 

"Now you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a privately manufactured firearm and a traditional firearm in many instances."

Experts say these firearms can be easily made, distributed, and destroyed easily.

SA 3D firearm

A 3D-printed firearm seized by police in South Australia. (Supplied: SA Police)

According to Stephen Bendle, convenor of the Australian Gun Safety Alliance, they include "fully automatic weapons that can shoot 40 rounds before needing to be reloaded".

"[They] are using standard gauge ammunition, so they are as effective as normal firearms," he said.

"The weapons that are available now are a danger particularly to law enforcement, but also to the broader community."

A man in a suit smiles for a portrait in front of greenery.

Stephen Bendle says some 3D-printed firearms are fully automatic.  (Supplied)

Homemade firearm discharges during seizure

Police have seen a noticeable increase in the number of privately made firearms or 3D-printed firearms seized nationally.

"Every jurisdiction in Australia has reported an increase particularly in the last 18 months to two years," Detective Inspector Phelps said.

The Australian Border Force detected 828 undeclared conventional firearms, parts and accessories in 2023-24, and WA Police made the largest seizure of 3D-printed guns in the state's history last year.

3D firearm blueprint

AFP officers seized a 3D printer and two spools of 3D filament from a Port Macquarie home. (Supplied: AFP)

Unlike legal firearms, these weapons are not made with safety features, which the Queensland Police Union says exposes frontline officers to added dangers.

"At the beginning of December there was a traffic intercept in Burpengary where a privately manufactured firearm was located, and during its seizure it actually went off," union president Shane Prior said.

"It is very lucky in that instance that a bullet did not hit a Queensland police officer."

'Ghost guns' to overtake illegal imports

Federal and state police believe that homemade guns will soon overtake illicit weapon imports and will likely become the most prevalent stream of firearms in Australia.

While authorities are doing "a lot of work" around national firearms registers and firearm prohibition orders to make it more difficult for people to illegally access them, there are still other means of acquiring these weapons, Detective Inspector Phelps said.

"That's appealing to criminal groups and people who are radicalised," he said.

Small purple parts inside a clear plastic bag.

3D-printed parts for a firearm seized by the AFP. (Supplied: AFP)

Mr Bendle said it's not only organised criminals who are making the guns. 

"But we also know there are firearm enthusiasts that are seeing what they can make," he added.

"There is also the person sitting at home with a 3D printer ... who might give it a try and make something very, very dangerous".

Need for vigilance around new technologies

It is illegal to make a 3D-printed firearm in Australia and the possession of a digital blueprint to create one is an offence in some states.

The maximum penalty for possessing a blueprint for a 3D-printed firearm is 21 years in jail.

3D printed submachine gun

A 3D-printed sub machine gun seized during a firearms distribution investigation in NSW. (Supplied: AFP/ NSW Police)

A spokesperson for the Australian Border Force said it works closely with domestic and international law enforcement partners to "ensure any firearms or firearms parts, including those that are 3D–printed, imported into or exported from Australia are done legally".

A spokesperson for Police Minister Dan Purdie said, "in Queensland, it is illegal to possess digital blueprints and devices for the manufacture of firearms". 

They said the legislation is constantly being reviewed to ensure it reflects changes in technology or the emergence of new threats.

The Australian Gun Safety Alliance has written to all state and territory police ministers encouraging them to act urgently to strengthen their legislation and regulatory framework.

"Unbelievably, after thirty years none of the state and territories are fully compliant with our national firearms agreement," Mr Bendle said.

"We still have very strong laws, but we need to be vigilant about new technologies such as 3D-printing."

Union concerned for officer safety

Last year, Operation Athena — a national task force targeting the trafficking and use of illicit firearms — brought together state and territory police, Commonwealth agencies, legal academics and technology experts to discuss privately made firearms.

"There's been a lot of outcomes out of that symposium, and it is about collaboratively sharing intelligence in a timely manner," Detective Inspector Phelps said.

A bald man in a suit and thick framed glasses standing in a blue room with a blurred background.

Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior says stronger safety measures are needed for officers. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi)

But Mr Prior believes stronger safety measures are necessary for frontline police.

"It's concerning to see our workplace as dangerous as it's ever been," he said.

"That is why we advocated for, and got, integrated load-bearing vests for our police, but we need to see tactical first aid and tourniquets rolled out to every police officer."

SA firearm green

The Australian Border Force detected 828 undeclared conventional firearms, parts and accessories in 2023-24. (Supplied: SA Police)

A Queensland government spokesperson said tourniquets are currently provided as part of tactical first aid kits, which are carried inside every police vehicle.

Anyone who has information regarding the manufacture, importation or distribution of illegal firearms is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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