Police in Brazil finally busted the gang responsible for churning out 9mm SMGs stuffed into spring powered airsoft SCAR bodies following raids conducted yesterday.

Opening up the clam-shell bodies reveals crude blowback smg innards made from square tubing. They must have been selling like hotcakes as they had been showing up frequently in weapon & drug seizures.

The magazines appear to be very crude single-stack affairs welded together from steel sheet. Capacity for these types is usually around 20 rounds. Not ideal but probably adequate for hosing down rival crack dealers in drive-bys.

“Operation Clandestine Forge dismantles illegal weapons manufacturing scheme in Bahia The group produced handcrafted weapons to supply a criminal organization operating in Salvador and the interior of the state 04/02/2026 The Civil Police of Bahia launched, on the morning of this Wednesday (4), Operation Clandestine Forge, with the objective of dismantling a criminal organization involved in the illegal manufacture of firearms. Investigations indicate that the group produced handcrafted weapons to supply a criminal organization operating in Salvador and in municipalities in the interior of the state.

So far, two arrest warrants and six search and seizure warrants have been executed. Two suspects were arrested in the Itinga neighborhood, in Lauro de Freitas, including the main target of the operation, a 35-year-old man, identified as responsible for the location where the criminal scheme operated. At the same address, a 31-year-old woman was also arrested. In addition to the preventive arrests, both were caught in the act for illegal possession of a firearm and drug trafficking. During the execution of the warrants, civil police officers seized a homemade 12-gauge shotgun, as well as two blocks of marijuana, reinforcing the group’s connection to other crimes associated with organized crime. Information indicated that the suspects were frequently acquiring replicas of airsoft guns, ballistic supplies, and metal parts used to convert these devices into firearms.

The purchases were made on a large scale through digital platforms. According to the investigation, one suspect acquired approximately 87 replicas, another approximately 30 units, and a third suspect more than 50, in addition to accessories compatible with restricted calibers, such as 9mm. According to the director of DEIC, Thomas Galdino, the suspects possessed the technical knowledge for the artisanal manufacture of firearms. “This capability was confirmed by the existence of metalworking shops registered in the names of two of the targets and by the seizure of tools used in the machining and assembly of firing systems. Investigations also indicate that the group maintained a direct link with members of a criminal organization, supplying weapons used in crimes such as homicides and aggravated robberies,” he highlighted. The operation is coordinated by the Specialized Department of Criminal Investigations (DEIC). The investigations began based on complaints received by the Specialized Anti-Kidnapping Police Station (DAS), a unit linked to the DEIC, and intelligence actions developed by the Department of Technical Police (DPT). The investigations continue, with the aim of executing another arrest warrant against another suspect who is a fugitive.”

The original Chinese made airsoft guns are branded ‘Vigor Scar-L 8902A’ and are available online for $40 / £32.