Police have seized more than 1000 guns and firearm parts and made 184 arrests in a national sting that revealed a scourge of untraceable 3D-printed weapons spanning from the suburbs Sydney to remote communities in Arnhem Land.
One Sydney man’s haul allegedly included two silver handguns, seven slingshots, an imitation Glock and revolver, five batons, pepper spray, 3700 rounds of ammunition and 10 rifles improperly stored in Strathfield.
More than 1000 firearms and parts, including hundreds of 3D-printed weapons, were seized.Credit: Australian Borer Force
The arrests were part of a weeklong crackdown on illicit weapons following a spate of gun violence in Sydney. These included four shootings within 24 hours across the western suburbs last week and the Croydon Park attack on October 5 which saw a man allegedly open fire on pedestrians, cars and police with a high-calibre rifle.
At least 281 privately made weapons or parts were seized during the operation as police warn dangerous 3D-printed weaponry is on the rise.
“These 3D-printed components may look colourful, but they are not toys,” Detective Superintendent John Watson, commander of the State Crime Command’s Drug and Firearms Squad, said.
“Once assembled, they become lethal weapons – entirely illicit and extremely dangerous. That’s why we’re targeting the full supply chain, from printers to imported parts.
Police are grappling with a rise in 3D-printed weapons.Credit: NSW Police
“Every illicit firearm we remove is one less threat to public safety. These aren’t just statistics, they represent lives protected and harm prevented.”
Just in NSW, police seized 270 firearms, 89 firearm parts, 19 imitation firearms, 10 privately manufactured or 3D-printed firearms, and 130 privately manufactured or 3D-printed firearm parts.
NSW Police arrested 45 people and laid 206 charges. A 41-year-old Sydney man faced Liverpool Local Court last week after police allegedly caught him in the process of trying to print part of a firearm in Hinchinbrook.
Another man in Gosford was charged with 14 offences after police allegedly seized privately manufactured Glock-style pistols, holsters and magazines.
3D printers used to make illegal firearms were seized by police.Credit: Police Media
“Imported firearm parts can be constructed with other privately manufactured parts, creating dangerous and untraceable weapons filtering onto our streets,” Australian Border Force Commander Graeme Campbell said.
“Many of these are items are being sold by online retailers, which may lead people to wrongly believe they are not controlled on import. Many of these websites simply place orders from overseas on the buyer’s behalf without any considerations for import regulations.”
The National Illicit Firearms Working Group is a collaboration between the border force, federal police, state crime agencies and New Zealand police.
The crackdown also allegedly uncovered a stash made up of a homemade crossbow, an airsoft revolver, knives, a taser and bullets in Canberra, an illegal arsenal in Western Australia that included a flamethrower and a spear, and several privately manufactured firearms and a 3D-printer seized from the remote Northern Territory community of Nhulunbuy.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
