Almost 100 3D-printed firearms seized in Alberta in Canada-wide investigation

Jul 6, 2023 | 11:01 AM

Alberta’s police watchdog has executed a number of search warrants in homes around the province as part of a Canada-wide investigation called Project Reproduction, led by an integrated team against firearms trafficking in Quebec called ELITA.

On June 22, ALERT released to the public limited details of the investigation and items that they had seized, including a search warrant conducted at a home in Grande Prairie the day prior.

Six other homes in Penhold, Innisfail, Brooks, Lloydminister, and Lac St. Anne County were also searched and Project Reproduction found:

Eight 3D printers
Eleven completed 3D-printed firearms
45 incomplete 3D-printed firearms, including frames and receivers
21 3D-printed firearms suppressors
Eight handguns
72 long-barrel firearms
Thousand of rounds of ammunition

The targets in Alberta were found through criminal intelligence developed by ELITA, which is a joint forces initiative comprised of Sûreté du Québec, the Montreal Police Service, RCMP, and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Search warrants were executed in eight provinces and 46 municipalities with 440 firearms seized; of those 71 were 3D-printed firearms, alongside 62 handguns.

Suspects in Alberta have been identified, but none have been formally charged at the time of this article.

The firearms are being tested by an Edmonton-based firearms examination unit for ballistic testing and ALERT’s investigation is ongoing and preparing reports and disclosure for Crown Counsel.

The watchdog service says a number of agencies helped with specialized units in their municipalities, including the Grande Prairie RCMP, Alberta Chief Firearms Office, RCMP’s National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST), as well as countless others.

by Erika Rolling