Two Western Australian men have been charged after police seized several 3D-printed guns during a four-month operation.
A 59-year-old and a 38-year-old have been charged with six offences between them, including manufacturing and selling weapons.
Several properties were raided across the state including homes in Wundowie, High Wycomeb and Morangup.
In one raid at a property on Louisa Circle in Morangup, an hour north-east of Perth, police allegedly found four 3D-printed guns, a 3D printer and electronic devices with schematics, and several 3D-printed gun parts.
The gun bust worried WA Police.
“Our concern is they fall into the wrong hands, they do fire live rounds and they are a risk,” Deputy Commissioner Kylie Whiteley said.
“The issue for us now [is] that these can be made in backyards and homes, and the concern for us is we’re seeing an emerging trend where that’s increasing.”
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The 59-year-old Marangup man was charged with manufacturing a gun and possessing gun technology without a licence, along with other weapons offences.
The younger man, from Gosnells in Perth’s south-east, was charged with selling a firearm without a licence.
In June last year, an 18-year-old was arrested and charged with a similar string of offences, including printing a working semi-automatic rifle.
3D printing expert Elliot Theunissen, owner of E-Jet 3D Printing, said many manufacturing blueprints were available online.
”We should crack down more on removing those weapons off the internet then you can cut back on people both printing and traditionally manufacturing these things,” he said.
The 59-year-old is due in Northam Magistrates Court on September 11 and the 38-year-old will face Midland Magistrates Court on October 20.
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