INDIANAPOLIS — Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection have seized 10 shipments of illegally shipped firearm parts over a 24-hour timeframe at a shipping hub in the Indianapolis airport.
The CBP said the shipments contained a total of 56 types of gun parts and accessories commonly used in the manufacturing of firearm parts including grips, sights, swivels, slings, rifle stocks and conversion kits.
According to the CBP, the shipments arrived from Israel and Spain and were seized on Dec. 7 and 8. The shipments were heading to a variety of different residences in Ohio, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina.
“This seizure clearly illustrates how closely CBP examines import manifests and identifies anomalies that could potentially harm our nation or our citizens,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations for the Chicago Field Office. “Additionally, our strong and effective partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies enables us to quickly identify and remove these shipments before they reach their final destination.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions is charged with regulating and restricting firearms and ammunition and an Indianapolis ATF team worked with CBP in the investigation.
Only licensed importers, dealers, or manufacturers are permitted to import weapons and ammunition, according to the CBP. The importer of the seized parts did not appear to be a federal firearm licensed manufacturer or dealer and therefore were seized by the ATF for not having the required permits.
“The importing of any type of munitions is regulated by the ATF,” said Jeremy Brodsky, Port Director, Indianapolis. “This seizure highlights the outstanding work our CBP officers perform every day in preventing illegal firearms from reaching our local communities.”
