Federal authorities in Boston have seized more than 350 internet domains that investigators believe were used for the illegal importation of firearm switches and silencers from China, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Wednesday.
Switches are small devices designed to convert a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic machine gun by preventing the handgun’s trigger bar from limiting fire to one round of ammunition per trigger pull. Silencers are devices used to suppress the sound of a firearm when discharged.
Possession of switches and their importation from certain countries, including China, are illegal under the federal National Firearms Act (NFA), and silencers are illegal to possess, use or sell in Massachusetts and seven other states.
In August 2023, federal authorities began targeting multiple websites, businesses and individuals suspected of selling, as well as importing and exporting, the illegal machinegun conversion devices and silencers, court records show.
As part of their investigation, federal law enforcement conducted undercover purchases from the targeted website domains of illegal switches and silencers.
The illegal firearm devices were then allegedly shipped from China to mailboxes in the U.S. in shipping containers disguised with false descriptions of their contents, such as “necklace” and toys,” in what federal prosecutors claim was an attempt to conceal the illegal importation.
As a result of the federal investigation, a total of 700 conversion switches have been seized, as well as 87 illegal silencers, 59 handguns, 36 long guns, and the 355 websites which were targeted as facilitating the alleged trafficking operation, according to Ketty Larco-Ward, the Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division.
Prosecutors further alleged that many of the websites trafficked in counterfeit goods that unlawfully used the Glock, Inc. trademark logo on the conversion switches.
“Our office remains committed to protecting our communities from the dangers posed by illegal firearms and firearm accessories, wherever the evidence takes us,” said Acting Mass. U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy in a Wednesday press release. “The seizure of these domains is a critical step in disrupting the flow of dangerous contraband that threatens public safety.”
“Those who attempt to exploit online platforms to traffic in highly lethal firearm parts will be held accountable,” Levy said. “We will continue to pursue and dismantle these illicit networks wherever they operate to uphold the integrity of our laws and safeguard our communities.”
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