MACS: Another 75 illegal machine gun conversion devices seized in Montgomery

ALEA says the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) unit has taken another 75 illegal machine gun conversion devices off of the streets of Montgomery.

ALEA says since June, the MACS Unit has conducted 1,700 traffic stops, served 442 arrest warrants, which  range from Failure to Appear for traffic offenses to capital murder, arrested 171 people on various  charges (13 were juveniles), recovered 30 stolen vehicles and has made 34 drug seizures to include a significant amount of Fentanyl.

The unit has also seized 137 guns, 20 of those equipped with machine gun conversion devices, commonly known on the street as “switches.”

One ongoing  investigation led the MACS Unit to a home where a federal search warrant was executed. During the  warrant, 75 manufactured machine gun conversion devices along with the manufacturing equipment were seized. 

These new statistics add to the ones released in September.

“Not only are officers removing dangerous drugs and firearms from the streets, but they are also  proactively working to uncover the direct source of illegal conversion devices before they fall into the  possession of criminals,” said ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor. “Due to their rapid rate of fire, these  conversion devices pose a significant threat to our local communities and law enforcement officers. We  will continue to work together and focus on removing these dangerous and illegal devices from our streets  to reduce the destruction and loss of life from senseless gun violence.” 

The MACS Unit is a specialized unit created by ALEA in collaboration with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Montgomery Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Montgomery Field Office to confront and  reduce violent crimes.  

In addition to MACS, ALEA launched what is known as the “Flying Wheel Detail,” using its Motor  Enforcement Unit to provide additional resources in the City of Montgomery, specifically for traffic  enforcement. ALEA Troopers assigned to the detail worked from Monday, Oct. 21 to Thursday, Oct. 24, and targeted moving violations such as but not limited to, speeding, following too closely and improper lane change. During this four-day period, the Flying Wheel Detail issued 454 citations and 99 warnings to  motorists. 

— Information from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency