Citing a "police raid" and making links to gangs is just a dramatization that doesn't bring anything. Where's the evidence that there is a link to a criminal activity instead of just being a hacker who's curious and got busted because he order the wrong set of components from Amazon ?
The article notes that the parts were seized as a part of the Greater Manchester Police's "Operation Challenger", which targeted "drug dealers, loan sharks, rogue landlords and counterfeit good suppliers." [1] It is likely that the owner of these parts is was not targeted for creating guns on their 3D printers, but for other reasons.
> Where's the evidence that there is a link to a criminal activity instead of just being a hacker who's curious and got busted because he order the wrong set of components from Amazon ?
I think it is extremely doubtful that they just happened to buy plastic components that could be used as a trigger and magazine from Amazon while simultaneously owning a 3D printer (that could be used to construct said components).
[1]: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-24660056
Agreed. However, those parts aren't able to be used as a trigger or magazine. One of them hooks onto the back of a 3d printer, holding the spool of plastic. The other one can be attached to the print head to help feed the plastic into the nozzle.
In no way can they be used as a trigger or magazine. Coincidentally, I have a similar spool holder on my desk right now.
At the same time, I think assuming that these parts were seized while their owner was doing nothing wrong may be naive.
To be useful the article would have to expand on the person and it's ties to the aweful criminal organization who owns "air rifles" and "BB guns".
I think the message is pretty clear: > GMP said through Challenger it was "declaring war" on criminal networks. And the BBC is just playing along.
While I am not a UK resident, it looks like some "air rifles" and "BB guns" are illegal to own in the UK without a Firearms Certificate [1].
Neither you nor the BBC article have provided any evidence that there is some kind of vendetta against 3D printers or their owners (which your original comment suggested).
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_gun_laws#United_Kingdom
The issue with these kind of articles is that they don't provide enough food to have a meaningful conversation on HN. Reality is rarely that simple and it's good to explore the various possible facets to provide a full picture of the situation.