A Toronto man faces multiple firearm-related charges including some connected to a relatively new threat – making and selling 3-D printed “ghost guns,” police said.
Toronto Police Services Inspector Steve Matthews, of the integrated gun and gang task force, said the arrest is the first one he’s been a part of that is connected to the possession of computer data for the purpose of manufacturing or trafficking firearms.
Police allege Brian Narciso, 28, had functioning handguns and parts that could be used to make up to 24 guns in his home, along with digital blueprints for printing firearms, a 3-D printer and money from allegedly selling the weapons, Insp. Matthews said at a press conference Wednesday.
The arrest came following an investigation dubbed Project Cluster, a firearm manufacturing and trafficking investigation which started in November, after RCMP notified Toronto police about several suspicious online advertisements. Investigators found the parts for sale could be used to make fully functioning guns, he said.
Police seized over 100 cartridge casings and unspent rounds and believe Mr. Narciso, who was arrested in December, was allegedly testing the guns, Insp. Matthews said.
He said this investigation was the first time he’s worked on a case involving 3D-printed ghost guns, which he said is a new issue for Toronto police.
“Crime is always evolving and we’re trying to keep up and, in some cases, stay ahead of it,” Insp. Matthews said.
Ghost guns are privately manufactured weapons with no traceable serial number. Insp. Matthews said the frames of the gun are often 3D-printed and combined with other parts to make fully functioning weapons.
In 2023, the federal government officially classified ghost guns as prohibited weapons with Bill C-21. The legislation also made it illegal to possess a digital file for 3D-printing weapons.
Insp. Matthews said Project Cluster has allowed Toronto police to get a scope of how many weapons one person can make in their home with a computer and 3D-printer.
Jeff Hershberg, a criminal defence lawyer specializing in firearms and weapons, said he hasn’t seen many cases involving 3D-printed ghost guns, but the problem could get worse if more people learn how to make them.
He said current legislation around 3D-printed weapons is effective, but it may need to be updated if the process of digitally printing guns changes in the future.
With a report from from The Canadian Press