In the past two months, a federal grand jury has indicted 11 people on charges relating to possession of machine guns, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.

Each of the alleged offenses occurred in Montgomery, and each of the machine guns in question was a semiautomatic firearm that had been converted to fully automatic through the installation of a machine gun conversion device, the office said in a news release.

“Machine gun conversion devices, commonly known as ‘switches’ or ‘auto sears,’ are installed on firearms and allow the guns to function as a fully automatic weapon, capable of firing up to 20 rounds per second,” the news release said. 

“These devices have grown in popularity over the past few years and, due to their rapid rate of fire, pose a significant threat to communities and law enforcement. The possession of a machine gun, which, under the relevant federal statute, includes the possession of a conversion device alone, carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.”

RELATED: ‘Glock switch’ ban would target homemade automatic weapons

The crackdown on these weapons is a joint effort between the Montgomery Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with assistance from the U.S. Marshall’s Service.

Montgomery Police Chief Darryl Albert said his officers have seized 80 machine gun conversion devices since March while television station WBRC reported in March the number of auto switches recovered in Alabama was up 1,200% year over year.

Officials say the danger posed by these illegally-modified weapons is threatening the lives of law enforcement and the safety of innocent bystanders.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270