As a result of an international investigation into 3D printed weapons, two suspects have been arrested. The weapons were traded in chat groups on the dark web.
There were semi-automatic firearms as well as fully automatic rifles. The weapons were made in Belgium on 3D printers. These types of weapons do not have a serial number and are difficult to trace if they are used in crimes.
The Federal Judicial Police Leuven was informed by the French authorities in August 2023 about an investigation that took place there into 3D printed weapons.
That investigation showed that several packages containing weapon parts had been sent to a home in Oud-Heverlee. The key figure was a 26-year-old Frenchman who lived near Leuven.
There was a coordinated action with the French authorities and the support of Europol on January 29. House searches were carried out simultaneously in France and Belgium. The searches in Belgium took place in Leuven and Oud-Heverlee.
During the raid, the 3D printer was actively printing pen-guns. Dozens of metal and plastic weapon parts as well as ready-to-use 3D firearms have been seized. Two people have been arrested: an 18-year-old woman from Leuven and a 26-year-old man from France.
France has requested the extradition of the 26-year-old man. Nine people have been arrested in France, mainly buyers of illegal firearms.
