As part of the Équipe intégrée de lutte au trafic d'armes (EILTA) Montréal – alongside members from Sûreté du Québec, Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, and the Canada Border Services Agency – the RCMP participated in PROJECT REPRODUCTION yesterday, a nationwide operation to crack down on the manufacturing and trafficking of privately made firearms (PMFs).
Police partners from across the country contributed to this landmark operation, conducting searches in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Since the beginning of the investigation, a total of 45 individuals were arrested and a number of illicit items were seized, including approximately 440 firearms (traditional and 3D) and 52 3D printers.
Working closely with the EILTA Montréal, the Ontario Provincial Police, and other police partners across the country, the RCMP received information about the distribution of 3D-printed parts used to assemble PMFs. Over 100 RCMP members took part in PROJECT REPRODUCTION, serving multiple search warrants in various provinces, and keeping guns off Canadian streets and out of criminal hands.
Police identified a Quebec resident as the primary suspect responsible for distributing these illegal parts – namely rails designed for 3D Glocks – across the country.
PMFs are illegal, untraceable, and unsafe, posing risks to the general public and the user, given their poor manufacturing quality. This operation helps shed light on the growing market for 3D-printed gun parts, and demonstrates the ways Canadian police organizations are working together to fight this emerging trend.
"Technology continues to change the face of crime as we know it, presenting new tools for criminals to exploit,
" said Chief Superintendent Mathieu Bertrand, DG of Serious and Organized Crime & Border Integrity at RCMP Federal Policing. "This nationwide operation demonstrates what law enforcement can achieve through collaboration, keeping pace with emerging criminal trends and ensuring the safety of our citizens.
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PROJECT REPRODUCTION marks a milestone in our efforts to disrupt the flow of illegal firearms in Canada and fight gun violence. The RCMP is proud to have played a part in this great display of cooperation at a national level, and commends the work of our EILTA Montreal counterparts and our provincial and municipal policing partners in carrying out this operation.
If you have any information related to illegal activities, or suspect that illegal activities are taking place in your community, please report it to your local police service.