Calgary police bust suspected 3D-printed gun producers

Two Calgary men face a total of 66 charges after police busted suspected homemade gun production facilities as part of a firearms trafficking investigation.

An investigation by the Calgary Police Service's firearms investigative unit was launched into a suspected firearms trafficker in 2020 and officers soon discovered the man was allegedly using a 3D printer to manufacture guns.

In May of this year, officers searched two homes — one in the 2600 block of Dover Ridge Drive S.E. and another in the 4300 block of Seton Drive S.E. — and seized:

• Three 'Ender' 3D printers;
• Five Glock-style handguns with magazines that were 3D-printed;
• Five Glock-style lower receivers that were 3D-printed;
• Firearm parts including slides, barrels and trigger parts;
• Ammunition;
• Used shell casings;
• Approximately 100 grams of suspected crack cocaine;
• Filament for 3D printing; and,
• Multiple computers and cell phones.

Forensics linked a 3D-printed gun seized by officers during an unrelated investigation last spring to the production.

Brandon Vincent-Wagner, 24, and Justin Kumar, 27, were arrested on Aug. 16 and charged.

Vincent-Wagner's charges include:

• 10 counts of firearms manufacturing;
• Seven counts of trafficking firearms;
• Possession of firearms or restricted device in an unauthorized place;
• Possession of firearms in contravention of prohibition order; and,
• Money laundering – proceeds of crime.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 30.

Kumar, who is slated to appear in court on Sept. 28, has been charged with:

• Seven counts of trafficking firearms;
• Possession of firearms or restricted device in an unauthorized place;
• Possession of firearms while unauthorized; and,
• Careless storage, handling and transportation of firearm.

"3D printed firearms are a growing trend that we are working to address through targeted enforcement," said Acting Staff Sergeant Ben Lawson of the firearms investigative unit. "3D printed guns function just like any other firearm and have the potential to cause real danger to our community."

Police say 3D-printed firearms are becoming readily available to criminals.

So far this year, Calgary police have seized 316 firearms connected to criminal activity. Of those, about nine per cent were printed and police say that's a significant jump compared to just two years ago.

"What we are seeing is definitely a trend in 3D-printed firearms. When we first started tracking this in 2020, we seized maybe one or two," said acting Staff Sgt. Ben Lawson of the Calgary Police Service firearms investigative unit.

"We are up to over 15 this year, so that increase has gone from about one per cent to about nine per cent of crime guns seized in the city."

Police say the functionality and longevity of these 3D printed weapons are the same as any other handgun.

The bottom half of the gun, or the receiver, is made of a plastic polymer while the barrel and upper components of the gun are metal, and those parts are purchased separately.

These weapons also use the same ammunition as other run-of-the-mill handguns, making it difficult for police to know whether or not a printed gun is used in a shooting by examining the shell casings alone.

With 97 reported shootings in Calgary this year, gun violence is a top concern for police.

Officers say many other guns are either smuggled into the country from the United States, or they are obtained through breaking and entering.

But any 3D printer can make a handgun receiver. All a criminal needs to do so is obtain a blueprint or a document including the needed steps that they can upload to the machine, and accessing those plans to create printed weapons is becoming a bigger issue.

"We're looking at 3D printing in countries in Europe, U.S. this year, and so, they're just really available," said Sgt. Lawson.

"They used to be only on the dark web because it was more of a nefarious activity. And now in lots of countries where you can legally print your own private firearm that you can use yourself, which is illegal in Canada, it is becoming more prevalent to obtain those types of documents on the internet.”

Lawson adds it can take approximately 30 to 40 hours for a printer to print a handgun receiver, depending on the machine and the operator.

Police say it's difficult to pin down the exact street value of one of these guns, but untraceable firearms, like the ones being printed, can go for upward of $2,000 to $5,000.

 

The firearms investigative unit was established in 2020.