Trinidad police seize quantity of ‘ghost guns’ printed with 3D technology
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago police Wednesday said they had seized a quantity of “ghost guns” that were manufactured utilising 3D printing technology.
Police commissioner Erla Christopher described as “highly commendable” the early morning raid at a house in the Caparo district, in Central Trinidad, conducted by a specialist unit of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS).
She said that the TTPS remains relentless in its fight against rapidly evolving criminal elements and that the specialist unit acted with great urgency to put an end to the illicit activities of one male suspect.
Police said that they had also arrested a female relative of the suspect.
“Acting on information received, officers of the specialist unit quickly verified that a man was allegedly performing the duties of an armourer for criminal groups in the country. A house at ….Caparo, was soon targeted and enquiries revealed that the individual had advanced his criminal activities to include the manufacturing of ‘ghost guns’ using 3D printing technology.”
The police described ‘ghost guns’ as “firearms that can be produced using readily available 3D printing technology, making it challenging for traditional firearm control measures to detect and prevent their production. They can be manufactured without serial numbers or other identifying marks, making them difficult to trace and regulate”.
The police commissioner has warned that if such manufacturing operations become established here, it could lead to an increase in untraceable and illegal firearms circulating within the country.
“She notes that the proliferation of illegal firearms poses significant risks to public safety and law enforcement and the lack of control over the production and distribution of these weapons could result in an increase in violent crime and contribute to the empowerment of criminal organisations,” the police statement added.
Last year, Trinidad and Tobago recorded 599 murders and so far this year, more than 400 homicides have been registered.