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Police taken possession of over 1,000 guns and weapon pieces as part of a operation aimed at the proliferation of illegal weapons in Australia and New Zealand.

Transnational Initiative Culminates in Apprehensions and Seizures

A seven-day international initiative resulted in in excess of 180 arrests, according to border officials, and the recovery of 281 DIY weapons and parts, among them items produced using three-dimensional printers.

Local Finds and Arrests

In New South Wales, authorities located several additive manufacturing devices alongside glock-style pistols, cartridge holders and custom-made holders, in addition to various pieces.

Regional police stated they apprehended 45 suspects and seized 518 guns and firearm parts as part of the operation. Multiple persons were faced with violations such as the manufacture of illegal guns without proper authorization, shipping banned items and possessing a digital blueprint for manufacture of weapons – a crime in some states.

“Those additively manufactured parts may look colourful, but they are serious items. When put together, they turn into lethal weapons – completely illegal and very risky,” an experienced detective stated in a announcement. “For this purpose we’re aiming at the full supply chain, from printers to overseas components.

“Citizen protection sits at the core of our weapon control program. Firearm users are required to be authorized, guns are obliged to be recorded, and adherence is non-negotiable.”

Rising Issue of Homemade Firearms

Data obtained during an investigation shows that during the previous five years more than 9,000 firearms have been lost to theft, and that currently, authorities made seizures of privately manufactured guns in almost every regional jurisdiction.

Judicial files indicate that the computer blueprints now created within the country, driven by an internet group of designers and supporters that promote an “absolute freedom to keep and bear arms”, are increasingly reliable and lethal.

Over the past several years the trend has been from “highly unskilled, minimally functional, practically single-use” to more advanced guns, authorities stated at the time.

Customs Interceptions and Online Sales

Components that are difficult to fabricated are commonly purchased from online retailers internationally.

A senior customs agent stated that in excess of 8,000 illegal weapons, pieces and attachments had been found at the frontier in the most recent accounting period.

“Overseas gun components are often put together with additional privately manufactured parts, creating dangerous and untraceable guns making their way to our streets,” the agent said.

“A lot of these products are being sold by online retailers, which could result in users to incorrectly assume they are unregulated on shipment. Many of these services just process purchases from abroad for the customer with no regard for customs laws.”

Further Seizures In Multiple Regions

Seizures of items among them a projectile launcher and flame-thrower were further executed in Victoria, the western territory, Tasmania and the the NT, where police reported they found multiple DIY weapons, as well as a 3D printer in the isolated community of the named area.