Elon Musk Boring Company flame thrower found at drug bust
Police executing search warrants last week found the drugs they were looking for and a few other things too, including a flamethrower-like device.
Police in Canada seized a flamethrower-like device from an Elon Musk-led company while conducting a drug bust last week.
The London, Ontario Police Service announced on social media on Tuesday that members of its “street gang unit” searched a number of addresses, seizing drugs, guns, cash and the flamethrower.
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A 31-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were charged with drug and weapons offences.
The flamethrower was sold as a promotional item, cheekily called “not-a-flamethrower” by Elon Musk’s Boring Company, which builds tunnels.
The company claims to have sold 20,000 of the devices at $US500 ($A646) a pop.
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Obviously, a flamethrower is a super terrible idea. Definitely donât buy one.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2018
Almost forgot! Due to recent regulatory/customs rules enacted to inhibit transport of anything called a Flamethrower, we have renamed our product: âNot a Flamethrowerâ.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018
The limited edition flamethrowers quickly sold out and began commanding huge mark-ups on eBay, but a number of them have, through one or another, ended up in police evidence lockers.
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In addition to the find in Ontario last week, an American man was arrested in Italy in 2018 after a bus driver called police when they mistook the “flamethrower” for a gun.
A YouTuber from Manchester, England had their house searched after posting about the gadget.
Things are starting to âHeat Upâ ð¥ @elonmusk@boringcompany ðµð»ââï¸ pic.twitter.com/HQPKaIwA9E
— Tom (@Syndicate) November 13, 2018
SPD officers and members of the C3 North End Unit seize a flamethrower on Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/oljhW1kh9j
— Ryan Walsh (@PIO_SPD) June 8, 2020
They’ve also shown up in other drug busts and traffic stops.
But it’s not clear yet whether the pair charged in Onario last week will face any legal repercussions for their flamethrower.
There has been debate on the legality of the device in Canada since the Boring Company first began selling them.
One Canadian lawyer told Global News Canada that the country’s laws defined a firearm as something that has a barrel and shoots a projectile.
The not-a-flamethrower has a barrel but doesn’t shoot a projectile, it’s more of a glorified blowtorch like the kind you can buy for less than $50 at your local Bunnings.
However, a rifle and knife were also allegedly found during the searches, as well as almost a kilogram of cocaine and a further seven kilograms of banned painkiller Phenacetin, sometimes used to “cut” cocaine for distribution.
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