Boston Cracks Down on Illegal Gun Part Smuggling

In a major crackdown, authorities in Boston have taken control of several websites and cryptocurrency accounts linked to a scheme involving the illegal importation of gun parts from China. These parts, known as machine gun conversion devices, are used to transform regular pistols into fully automatic weapons, which is against the law. The investigation, which has been ongoing for a couple of years, has led to the seizure of over 3, 000 of these conversion devices, along with hundreds of firearms, silencers, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. These items were allegedly smuggled into the country hidden within air cargo shipments from China, bypassing U. S. Customs.The websites involved in this scheme were found to be selling these illegal parts, as well as counterfeit goods, and even falsely using the Glock trademark to sell unauthorized parts. The vendors used cryptocurrency accounts to facilitate these illegal transactions. Authorities have stated that they had enough evidence to seize these websites and the funds within the cryptocurrency wallets used in this scheme. This operation is part of a larger effort to target and dismantle networks involved in the illegal importation and sale of these conversion devices. The operation has resulted in the seizure of about 360 internet domains and a significant amount of illegal firearms and ammunition. It has also led to numerous investigative referrals, indicating the widespread nature of this illegal activity.