Preventing the Production of Illegal and Unregistered Weapons Through 3D Printing

Question:

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what is being done to ensure that illegal and unregistered weapons are not produced within Singapore through the use of 3D printing techniques that produce 3D objects from digital models.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1. Under the Arms and Explosives Act, it is an offence to manufacture a weapon without a licence, including through three-dimensional (3D) printing. There are severe penalties under the Arms & Explosives Act, including imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to $10,000. Furthermore, any person who assists with producing 3D-printed weapons may also be prosecuted for abetment of offences under the Arms & Explosives Act or the Arms Offences Act.

2. In the first half of 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs will operationalise the Guns, Explosive and Weapons Control Act (GEWCA), which will further strengthen controls over the manufacture of weapons. Among others, GEWCA will introduce a new offence for the unauthorised possession of digital blueprints of guns or major parts of guns for 3D printing.