January 27, 2022
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Bay Area law enforcement grapples with rise in 'ghost guns' - | Almanac Online |

Federal and local law enforcement agents and detectives executed multiple arrest and search warrants throughout San Mateo County and at one residence in Oakland and seized 15 firearms of various types, including ghost guns, on Jan. 20, 2022. Courtesy San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

They're untraceable and illegal — and too often in the hands of criminals

A joint operation led by the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office ended last week with the seizure of 30 illegally held firearms and the arrest of four men, believed to have trafficked the weapons from Arizona and sold them throughout the county.

The massive, monthslong investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Drug Enforcement Administration Metro Task Force is the latest crackdown on the growing market for illegal firearms.

In addition to automatic rifles, high-capacity magazines and thousands of rounds of ammunition, law enforcement recovered a number of privately made firearms, or "ghost guns," as well as a 3D printer, believed to be used for manufacturing homemade weapons.

The recovered "ghost guns," which are weapons without a serial number that have been hand built — often from kits — were just a fraction of the many such firearms seized in recent months.

Just last week, a suspected carjacker was killed by police officers in San Jose after opening fire on them with a ghost gun. Also last week, a man accused of the "smash and grab" burglary of a Santa Clara high-end sneaker store was arrested and found to be in possession of 30 boxes of luxury sneakers and clothing — and a ghost gun, complete with a loaded 30-round magazine.

San Jose police recovered this homemade ghost gun after an alleged carjacker, Robert Seth Carter, opened fire on police officers on Jan. 19, 2022. Courtesy San Jose Police Department.
Some people have started to make ghost guns with 3D printers. Courtesy Getty Images.
A 3D illustration of a 3D-printed gun pistol manufactured using FLM and SLA processes. Courtesy Getty Images.
A ghost gun. Courtesy San Jose Police Department.


source: https://www.almanacnews.com/news/2022/01/27/bay-area-law-enforcement-grapples-with-rise-in-ghost-guns

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