The United Kingdom on Wednesday convicted for the first time a 26-year-old college student on the charge of printing a restricted firearm on a 3D printer.
Tendai Muswere pleaded guilty to manufacturing a handgun, according to The Guardian. He told police that he created the gun to be used as a prop in a “dystopian film” he was making for a student project, though he refused to further comment on the plot of the film to investigators.
Although guns printed on 3D printers are illegal in the United Kingdom, investigators have found it notoriously difficult to track where the printer-produced weapons are being created. Guns created on printers in the U.S. are legal, though they must contain certain components, such as those that will alert metal detectors.
Police initially entered Muswere’s London home with a warrant to search for drugs in October 2017 when they discovered the printed gun that was capable of firing bullets. Muswere claimed that he was unaware the gun could fire. Police also found evidence that Muswere had been keeping and cultivating cannabis plants. A subsequent search revealed even more materials that could be used to manufacture a handgun with a 3D printer.
Police later searched Muswere’s computer, where they found evidence on his search history that he had attempted to find information on how to print a handgun that would fire a bullet. Muswere did not offer an explanation for his computer history or why he would need a working gun to use as a prop in a student film.
The U.K. Home Office formally banned 3D printed firearms in 2013. Except in rare circumstances, handguns have been been banned in the U.K. since 1996.
