Large-Scale Illegal Weapons Operation Leads to In excess of 1,000 Pieces Taken in NZ and Australia

Police have seized in excess of 1,000 guns and gun parts in a operation aimed at the spread of illegal weapons in the nation and the island nation.

Cross-Border Operation Leads to Arrests and Recoveries

This extended international effort resulted in more than 180 arrests, as reported by immigration authorities, and the seizure of 281 DIY guns and pieces, including products created with 3D printers.

Regional Finds and Detentions

Within NSW, police located multiple three-dimensional printers alongside glock-style pistols, cartridge holders and 3D-printed holsters, in addition to various pieces.

Local authorities said they apprehended 45 individuals and confiscated 518 weapons and weapon pieces in the course of the operation. Several persons were charged with offences among them the creation of illegal guns without a licence, bringing in prohibited goods and possessing a digital blueprint for manufacture of weapons – a violation in various jurisdictions.

“These 3D printed components may look colourful, but they are not toys. When put together, they are transformed into dangerous tools – entirely illicit and highly hazardous,” an experienced detective stated in a statement. “That’s why we’re aiming at the entire network, from printers to foreign pieces.

“Citizen protection forms the basis of our gun registration framework. Shooters need to be registered, firearms have to be recorded, and adherence is mandatory.”

Rising Phenomenon of Privately Made Firearms

Statistics obtained during an investigation shows that over the past five years over 9,000 firearms have been taken illegally, and that this year, authorities made seizures of DIY firearms in the majority of state and territory.

Judicial files indicate that the 3D models being manufactured in Australia, fuelled by an online community of developers and supporters that support an “complete liberty to possess firearms”, are increasingly reliable and dangerous.

Over the past three to four years the trend has been from “highly unskilled, minimally functional, nearly disposable” to higher-quality firearms, authorities reported previously.

Border Interceptions and Web-Based Sales

Components that are not easily additively manufactured are often ordered from online retailers internationally.

An experienced customs agent said that more than 8,000 illicit weapons, parts and attachments had been found at the frontier in the last financial year.

“Imported gun components can be constructed with other DIY components, forming dangerous and untraceable weapons appearing on our streets,” the officer stated.

“A lot of these products are being sold by online retailers, which may lead individuals to mistakenly think they are unregulated on import. Many of these platforms only arrange transactions from abroad on the buyer’s behalf with no regard for import regulations.”

Additional Recoveries Across Various Regions

Recoveries of items such as a bow weapon and incendiary device were additionally conducted in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania and the the NT, where authorities stated they found several privately manufactured guns, as well as a fabrication tool in the remote town of the named area.