Tenerife Police Dismantle 3D Printing Arms Workshop

The Spanish National Police have released a statement announcing their first dismantling of a illegal 3D weapons manufacturing workshop in Spain.

The raid, which was out on September 14, 2020, has only just been made public due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The operation was carried out with officials from the Spanish tax agency, and involved a raid on a property in Tenerife leading to the arrest of a suspect on the charges of illegal possession of weapons and explosives.

The authorities also seized two 3D printers, 11 spools of filament for the printers and numerous computer devices used for manufacturing as well as 19 3D printed handgun frames, pistol magazines, two silencers, two unnumbered handgun slides, two barrel rifling pieces as well as numerous other elements required for the manufacture of the weapons including firing pins, telescopic and holographic sights.

The raid used a specialised canine team for the detection of explosive substances.

In addition the police found more than 30 instruction manuals, including an urban guerilla “terrorist manual,” homemade explosives and other contruction materials.

Additive manufacturing – known as three-dimensional 3D printing – is a disruptive technology that has been used by criminal and terrorist groups.

In October 2019, a synagogue was attacked in Germany by a Neo Nazi terror group using 3D manufactured weapons.