Zimbabwean first to be convicted of making 3D-printed gun in the UK

A university student has become the first person in the UK to be convicted of making a viable gun with a 3D printer.

Tendai Muswere, 26, pleaded guilty to a charge of manufacturing a 3D-printed firearm in court on Wednesday.

Police discovered the weapon's components during what was originally a drugs raid at his flat in Pimlico, central London, in October 2017.

He explained to officers that he was printing the weapon for a university film project, but refused to give more details.

Muswere, a Zimbabwean national, did not have a gun licence, and alleged to officers that he wasn't aware that the printed components were able to make a functioning weapon.

But a search through his browser history later revealed that Muswere had watched videos that showed him how to print a working gun.

Further printed components were found during another raid just four months later in February 2018.

Acting Detective Sergeant Jonathan Roberts said: "We know that Muswere was planning to line the printed firearms with steel tubes in order to make a barrel capable of firing.

"This conviction, which I believe is the first of its kind relating to the use of a 3D printer to produce a firearm, has prevented a viable gun from getting into the hand of criminals."