Pictures released of Spanish police raiding 3D-printed gun factory in Tenerife

Agents of the National Police and officials of the Tax Agency have dismantled the first illegal 3D weapons manufacturing workshop in Spain which has led to the arrest, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, of a person for his participation in crimes of illegal possession of weapons and deposit of explosives, and in which the presence of supremacist symbols and terrorism manuals stands out.

The man they arrested is a Spanish national of 55-years old who runs a nursing home in the capital of Tenerife, who was a military man in Venezuela until Hugo Chávez's electoral victory. Before passing through Florida (USA), he returned to Tenerife several years ago, where he is a resident.

The operation took place on September 14th last year but remained secret by order of a judge until police were cleared to release the details yesterday. During the search, two 3D printers, 11 spools of 3D printer filament and numerous computer devices used for manufacturing were seized.

The facility housed working 3D-printing equipment that could manufacture gun barrels in just two minutes, according to the National Police in an official statement.

In addition, 19 3D printed handgun frames, nine magazines, two silencers, two unnumbered handgun slides, two barrel rifling parts, two firing pins, and an Airsoft AR-15 assault rifle replica, were seized. They also found two tasers, five knives, and a machete.

There were also manuals on terrorism, urban guerilla warfare and how to make explosives at home using a 3D printer, as well as white supremacist literature and a pistol holster bearing the insignia of the German army during the Second World War.

The operation was directed by the Court of Instruction number 3 of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which has kept summary secret to date, and began when agents specialized in the matter detected the existence of a person who, illegally, made purchases over the Internet of essential parts of firearms and explosive substances.

After analyzing all the information obtained, the corresponding operational device was established, practicing four searches in Santa Cruz. When the agents entered one of the premises they could see how one of the 3D printers was fully operational with handgun frame being printed when they got there.

The detainee also had a large number of fundamental pieces, all of them complementary for their assembly to the frame manufactured in 3D. In this way, the arrested man could fully manufacture a short firearm.

Additive manufacturing, known as three-dimensional 3D printing, is a disruptive technology that exponentially increases the danger of the proliferation of firearms, facilitating access to them by criminal or terrorist groups. In October 2019, in Germany, a terrorist attack was committed against a Jewish synagogue, in which other weapons and explosives, a rifle manufactured with a 3D printer was used.

The GIC is at the forefront of the fight against these new criminal modalities and currently an inspector from that Commission, representing Spain, is leading a working group of European police, within the Empact Firearms platform, dedicated to combating threats emerging in this field and, specifically, the response to the threat posed by the 3D printing of firearms. Similarly, the Customs and Special Taxes Department of the Tax Agency, through Customs Surveillance, co-directs, within the framework of said platform, the operational action on illicit arms trafficking through parcels.

This operation highlights the synergies created between customs police forces and the Ministry of the Interior, and that Spain promotes within the EU.