Four men charged after discovery of 3D-printed weapons workshop in Pau
A network manufacturing weapons through 3D printing has been dismantled in Pau. Four suspects have been remanded in custody, including a business owner suspected of being the mastermind of the operation.
Four men charged after discovery of 3D-printed weapons workshop in Pau
Investigators have dismantled a clandestine workshop specialising in the production of lethal weapons through 3D printing, located in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). Four individuals have been placed in custody, the Toulouse prosecutor's office announced on Saturday 13 June 2026.
The manufacturing operation was intended for the distribution of weapons on the illicit market. Police seized pistols manufactured entirely through additive manufacturing, as well as components and printing equipment. The operation mobilised the gendarmerie research unit in Pau, with support from the Toulouse research section.
Among the four suspects is a local entrepreneur, presented as the suspected mastermind of the network. The three other alleged accomplices have also been remanded in custody. All are being prosecuted for the unlicensed manufacture and possession of category B weapons.
The case was revealed by France 24. It illustrates the rising trend in artisanal firearm manufacturing thanks to three-dimensional printing technologies, a phenomenon that concerns organised crime enforcement services.
Source: France 24 - France