Arquebus CEO Paul James and CTO Glenn Lawrence were quoted by the UK media last week regarding the threat posed by 3D printed firearms and the potential diversion of military grade firearms from the Ukraine conflict to the UK’s national security.

Deadly 3D printed weapons are being traded between gangs, posing a new threat on streets, the National Crime Agency warned.

It comes as the Director General of MI5 Ken McCallum stated that far-right extremists are increasingly trying to obtain guns, or 3D print their own.

McCallum warned that ‘… From the comfort of their bedrooms, individuals are easily able to access Right-wing extremist spaces, network with each other and move towards a radical mindset. Often weapons are sought for their own sake, well in advance of any specific targeting intent developing – making for difficult risk management judgments and forcing early intervention.’

This attention in the UK media comes following related reporting on the European mainland, where in October an expert from the NBI of Finland indicated the possibility of weapons originally intended for Ukrainian armed forces having been diverted to Organised Criminal Gangs in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The Deputy Head of the NBI later clarified that ‘… However, we have no evidence of such a phenomenon.’