“Europol attaches great importance to the threat posed by 3D-printed guns, amid an increasing number of these firearms seized during investigations across Europe in the past few years,” the police said in a statement.
Europol, which has invited more than 120 experts in law enforcement, weapons and forensic research, officials and academics to a special conference this week in The Hague, said international cooperation is “essential to be able to respond to the threat”.
In 2019, a person was shot dead in Halle, Germany, by an assailant who used a weapon partly made with a 3D printer and using a blueprint downloaded from the Internet, according to Europol.
In April 2021, Spanish police raided and dismantled an illegal 3D-printed weapons workshop in the Canary Islands. Two 3D printers, parts of weapons, a copy of an assault rifle and pamphlets about urban guerrilla warfare and white supremacy were confiscated. The owner of the workshop was arrested and charged with illegal possession of weapons.
A month later, two men and a woman were arrested in the UK town of Cayley as part of an investigation into right-wing terrorism.
Europol said the conference, which took place this week, was “one of the world’s largest platforms for exchanging views on the threat posed by 3D-printed weapons”.
“Such a challenge can only be met by bringing together the expertise, resources and insights of law enforcement, the private sector and academia to remove these weapons from the streets,” said Europol expert Martin van der Mai.
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