A barely legal Montrealer believed to be part of a gang of young people making and selling 3D-printed firearms has been handcuffed and the Crown intends to detain him for an extended period.
“It takes 8 hours to craft the weapon. “The one-shot model is small but deadly,” a member of the youth gang reportedly told a double agent who obtained one of the guns. This led to the arrest of 19-year-old Radwane Hamzi and his charges last week.
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Radwane Hamzi is accused of trafficking in homemade firearms.
This action by the Integrated Weapons Trafficking Enforcement Team comes as a result of a nearly six-month investigation after information from the American Homeland Security Investigation emerged that a Canadian was smuggling 3D-printed weapons.
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According to our information, this individual hid under the alias “Mrs Potato” and sold her gear through the Signal app for about a few hundred dollars each.
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A double agent quickly contacted this person. “Mrs. Potato,” who turned out to be 17, reportedly told him that he had been in the 3D printed firearms business for a number of years and worked with a “small team.”
The double agent posed as a customer and made an initial purchase in the Ottawa area. It should be noted that the group of young people traveled in a vehicle rented from Communauto to deliver the gun in the Canadian capital, intelligence shows.
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The investigation then shifted to Montreal, where the group is believed to have originated. A second purchase was made to learn more about the stocks sold by the group of young people.
So there were .22 caliber guns in the “one-shot” model and a revolver version that could fire 6 bullets. Except for a few parts, everything was made of plastic with a 3D printer thanks to plans found on the internet.
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And according to investigations by police ballistics experts, the five seized pistols, although fragile, were in firing condition.
It was enough for the authorities to arrest the young people, including Hamzi, who has since been arrested on 15 charges, including trafficking in homemade weapons.
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“We are against bail,” said Me Véronique Warthold of the Crown this Tuesday at the Montreal courthouse.
Hamzi’s file will be returned to court next week as the defense’s Me Louis Morena prepare an investigation into his release.
– With Ian Gemme
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