Gardaí target criminals manufacturing firearms
A statement issued by Garda HQ said the items recovered by gardaí were being subjected to technical and ballistic analysis. It said no arrests had been made, so far. Picture Colin Keegan/ Collins
Gardaí have detected Irish criminals who are buying specialist equipment online in order to illegally manufacture firearms.
A number of low-calibre and imitation handguns were seized by gardaí as part of EU-led operation targeting the trade.
The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) carried out two searches, one in rural Wexford and the other in Roscommon.
The operation, coordinated by the EU police agency Europol, stemmed from an investigation by Spanish police.
Their inquiries identified individuals across Europe and North America who had purchased specific tools to manufacture or modify firearms.
Police in Ireland, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK also took part in the operation, which took place in October.
In Ireland, the tools purchased included “chamber reamers”, which are used for boring and rifling of firearms — equipment that should only be accessible to licensed gunsmiths.
A Europol statement said 10 illegal firearms workshops had been dismantled — in Canada, Germany, Spain, and the UK.
A total of 70 illegal firearms were confiscated, including assault rifles, 3D-printed semi-automatic submachine guns, pistols, and drill presses.
More than 70,000 rounds of ammunition were seized, along with explosive precursors, gunpowder, and a grenade launcher.
The Garda investigation is still ongoing and a file is expected to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Investigators are concerned about the ease with which people can access firearm components from the internet.
It is understood no main suppliers have yet been identified in Ireland.
A statement issued by Garda HQ said the items recovered by gardaí were being subjected to technical and ballistic analysis. It said no arrests had been made, so far.
Detective Chief Superintendent Séamus Boland, the head of DOCB, said: "An Garda Síochána is a committed partner to Europol-coordinated operational activities, particularly when targeting high-value targets that facilitate violent organised crime networks.
"The removal of deadly illegal firearms from the reach of violent criminal organisations is a priority for law enforcement and the dismantling of 10 illegal firearms workshops, through international law enforcement collaboration, greatly assists in reducing the availability of lethal firearms to criminals, and assists in maintaining Ireland’s current low incidence of gun-related violence."
