Bankstown raid discovery leads to fears 3D printed guns could be on rise

Police raids uncovered a half-finished semiautomatic firearm, three 3D printers, spools of 3D printer wire and ammunition at a Bankstown home.

Spools of 3D printed wire were found during raids. Picture: NSW Police

There are fears Australia could see a spike in the number of unregistered firearms on the streets after a series of raids across Sydney’s west uncovered the 3D printing technology to mass produce them.

A half-finished semiautomatic firearm, three 3D printers, spools of 3D printer wire and ammunition were found inside a home on Cambridge Ave in Bankstown last Thursday, just moments after NSW Police served a firearms prohibition order on a 45-year-old man at the address.

The surprise discoveries inside the home then led detectives to a factory on Canterbury Road at Punchbowl.

There the Drug and Firearms Squad allegedly found hydraulic presses and other tools, allegedly used in the manufacture of 3D-printed firearms, as well as a completed 3D printed semiautomatic rifle and gun parts, such as silencers and scopes.

Unregistered 3D printed guns are a major problem in the United States, and Professor Roderic Broadhurst said it is possible Australia will follow the “US trend”. Picture: NSW Police

A 45-year-old man has been charged after a major 3D printed firearm raids in Sydney’s west. Picture: NSW Police

Police allege the man had imported some of the items from overseas.

He was charged with a string of crimes including possessing an unauthorised pistol and ammunition even though he did not have a licence, and possessing a prohibited drug.

3D printed guns have become a major issue in the United States in recent times, with blueprints able to be bought both legally and on the dark web making it tough for gun regulators to keep track of weapons as they hit the streets.

Professor Roderic Broadhurst has been studying the rise of 3D printed weapons for the Australian National University and says while currently large-scale busts are unusual, it is likely they will only increase.

“In 2015, NSW brought in a law which prohibited digital blueprints for guns and that was quite early on,” Prof Broadhurst said.

“That was an important innovation at least in an attempt to sort of quell these sort of files (spreading).

“We do tend to in some of these things follow US trends a bit … the short answer is that 3D printing, generally the more advanced forms, are much more commonplace than they were 10 years ago.”

The man charged over last week’s bust faced Bankstown Local Court on Thursday where he was refused bail to again face court on April 21.