More than 1000 firearms and parts have been seized and nearly 200 people have been arrested after an Australia-wide crackdown on illegal weapons.
Led by the Australian Border Force, the week of action unearthed 281 firearms or parts that had been privately manufactured or made via 3D printing.
One raid in Gosford, on the NSW central coast, found a 3D printer, three manufactured Glock-style pistols, 3D-printed holsters and an imitation revolver, among other items.
A 52-year-old man arrested at the scene was charged with 14 various firearms offences.
NSW Police Detective Superintendent John Watson, who heads Australia's Illicit Firearms Working Group, said "criminals are innovating, but so are police".
"Privately manufactured firearms present a fast-evolving challenge, but this operation shows what's possible when agencies collaborate effectively," he said on Tuesday.
"These 3D-printed components may look colourful, but they are not toys … once assembled, they become lethal weapons — entirely illicit and extremely dangerous."
Across the nation, 184 arrests were made and 854 charges laid.
The ABF said 719 whole firearms were seized, 489 parts were captured and another 64 imitation firearms and gel blasters were found.
Other items seized included AU$250,000 (NZ$283,000) cash and prohibited drugs.
A search in Kotara, in Newcastle, found two rifles, three revolvers, an automatic pistol and 1000 rounds of ammunition.
In Belfield, southwest Sydney, a range of weapons including BB guns and slingshots were netted along with 3700 rounds of ammunition and pepper spray.
Dozens of raids in Western Australia over the past week uncovered 94 firearms, 223 firearm parts as well as several other weapons.
Those included a homemade shotgun, parts used to manufacture firearms, copies of firearm instruction manuals, pepper spray and a shock device at a home in Greenfields in Mandurah.
A 38-year-old man arrested at the scene will face a court on November 7 on several weapon charges.
Border Force Commander Graeme Campbell said the "sophisticated, intelligence-led" operation had been a success.
"We work closely with our partner agencies to disrupt criminals seeking to obtain illegal firearms and firearm parts which can potentially harm the Australian community," he said.
"Many of these 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."
SHARE ME