ASEAN Beat | Security | Southeast Asia

3D-Printed Weapons: An Emerging Problem in Southeast Asia?

While traditional firearms are currently a more pressing problem, seizures of 3DPFs are on the rise, with worrying implications for the region.

A photo of the 3D-printed Rogue-9 FTN3 carbine, versions of which have been discovered in recent seizures by Southeast Asian authorities.

3D-printed weapons – in particular, firearms – have proliferated significantly since 2020. Regions such as North America, Western Europe, and Australia have experienced a high volume of seizures of these weapons linked to organized crime, and a limited number linked to extremism. Although 3D-printed firearms (3DPFs) constitute a very small proportion of illicit firearms in Southeast Asia as compared to converted, reactivated, and diverted conventional firearms, the commercial availability of 3D-printers and the accessibility of digital firearm blueprints are causes for concern. These weapons have not spread to Southeast Asia in a significant way yet, except for limited pockets of countries like Myanmar. However, a recent seizure of illegal weapons in Singapore and several other countries may suggest that Southeast Asia may not be as immune to the problem as expected.

On April 6, a 39-year-old man was arrested for possession of a cache of prohibited weapons in a Singapore flat. Among the weapons seized were three 3D-printed crossbows, several airsoft-type variants of guns, BB guns, and gel blasters. In an interview with the author, firearms experts Tyler Herman from the Canadian Border Security Agency noted the presence of some other firearm components, which resembled AR-15 and other handgun lower receivers which could also have been 3D-printed, from the photos of the seizure. To add, Zoltán Füredi, CEO of Deep Layer Lab noted that airsoft versions of popular hybrid 3DPF models, namely the Urutau and Rogue-9, were likely also present. The authorities seized a 3D-printer at the scene and 17 spools of printing filaments.

The individual was charged with weapons possession. The exact motivation of the individual remains unclear. While this may well be a benign case of a hobbyist attempting to collect these items, Singapore maintains strict laws against firearms and the discovery of a 3D-printer highlights the ease with which commercial technology may be used to manufacture potentially harmful weapons.

3D-printing companies in Singapore have received an increasing number of requests to print firearm components of late. Although the reasons for these requests remain unclear, signals of interest are evident. To add, in April 2025, a 17-year-old Singaporean youth who planned to carry out attacks on several mosques had considered 3D-printing firearms to be used in the attacks after communicating with an individual in the United States. However, the youth did not follow through with the plan.

Scarce in Southeast Asia – For Now

Incidents involving 3DPFs in Southeast Asia have remained relatively low, accounting for approximately 6 percent of global incidents documented by the author, compared to North America and Europe, which accounted for approximately 72 percent. Countries like Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand have also experienced an uptick in seizures in recent months.

In Southeast Asia, Myanmar was the epicenter of 3DPF use, with most of the incidents in the region occurring there. A notable model used by the country’s non-state armed groups in their war against the Myanmar military was the FGC-9, a hybrid 3DPF that consists of 3D-printed parts and commercially available, unregulated components like steel tubing and springs. These weapons were used in training, to man checkpoints, and in raids against military facilities where commercial weapons were confiscated.

Within the criminal domain, several cases in the region are worth noting. In 2023, a 23-year-old Vietnamese national was arrested for running a 3DPF trafficking operation. Pham Ngoc Son from Danang was found to be selling Harlot-type handguns – a popular, concealable 3D-printed design that has been detected in criminal seizures in Ireland, Australia, Portugal, Sweden and Canada – for profit. He had discovered the digital blueprints for the weapon online, outsourced the printing of some parts using local 3D-printing services and completed the weapons with other commercially sourced components like the barrel and springs. He then used local postal services to ship the weapons to buyers.

In Indonesia, a raid on an illegal firearms manufacturing facility in Lampung uncovered a suspected 3DPF, namely a .22 caliber handgun popularly referred to as the Not-A-Glock. The weapon is a semi-automatic, fully do-it-yourself hybrid model that does not require any regulated components. The design for the Not-A-Glock was released in late 2024 and was soon discovered in seizures in Canada and Australia. While the Indonesian authorities did not report it as a 3DPF, several experts have noted that it was.

In wider Asia, Taiwan reported its first two cases of 3DPF seizures in 2023. The first was an illegal manufacturing and trafficking network that was selling FGC-9 guns. The second was a case of a 43-year-old engineer who was arrested for manufacturing gun parts using 3D-printing and completing them with parts imported from the U.S.

Converted and Diverted Firearms: A Bigger Problem

One of the possible reasons for the low number of 3DPF incidents in Southeast Asia is the relative ease with which other types of illicit arms can be obtained. Among the leading sources of illicit arms in the region are porous state armories, legal markets, craft production, and legacy weapons from conflicts in the region. The Philippines has one of the largest stockpiles of illicit firearms in Southeast Asia, with a cottage industry for artisanal and craft-produced weapons. Cambodia is noted to be a source of diverted police and military weapons, which flow through Thailand and thence onwards to Myanmar through its porous western border regions. Illicit arms from Thailand are also frequently trafficked into Malaysia through the land borders in the south, facilitated by weak enforcement and corruption. Recent trends point to the issue of diverted and replica firearms in Malaysia.

Apart from being a transit point for illicit weapons, military and police weapons in Thailand have been diverted from government stockpiles into the black market and organized crime networks. In Indonesia, illicit........

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