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Police taken possession of more than 1,000 firearms and weapon pieces as part of a sweep aimed at the spread of unlawful firearms in Australia and New Zealand.

International Effort Results in Detentions and Seizures

A seven-day transnational operation led to more than 180 arrests, based on statements from immigration authorities, and the seizure of 281 DIY guns and pieces, such as items created with additive manufacturing devices.

Regional Revelations and Apprehensions

In New South Wales, law enforcement discovered several three-dimensional printers together with pistols of a certain design, ammunition clips and custom-made holders, in addition to various pieces.

State authorities said they detained 45 individuals and seized 518 guns and weapon pieces during the effort. Multiple persons were faced with offences including the creation of illegal guns without proper authorization, importing prohibited goods and owning a electronic design for manufacture of weapons – a violation in various jurisdictions.

“Those additively manufactured parts might appear colourful, but they are not toys. When put together, they are transformed into dangerous tools – completely illegal and very risky,” a high-ranking officer said in a release. “That’s why we’re targeting the full supply chain, from printers to foreign pieces.

“Public safety forms the basis of our firearms licensing system. Firearm users need to be licensed, guns must be documented, and compliance is absolute.”

Increasing Issue of DIY Guns

Statistics collected during an inquiry indicates that during the previous five years over 9,000 weapons have been taken illegally, and that currently, authorities executed recoveries of privately manufactured weapons in almost every state and territory.

Judicial files show that the computer blueprints currently produced domestically, driven by an online community of creators and enthusiasts that advocate for an “complete liberty to own and carry weapons”, are steadily functional and deadly.

During the last several years the development has been from “extremely amateur, very low-powered, almost a one-shot weapon” to more advanced firearms, law enforcement stated at the time.

Immigration Discoveries and Online Purchases

Parts that are not easily additively manufactured are frequently purchased from digital stores internationally.

A senior border official stated that over 8,000 unlawful guns, parts and add-ons had been found at the frontier in the most recent accounting period.

“Overseas firearm parts are often put together with further DIY components, producing risky and untraceable firearms filtering onto our communities,” the official said.

“Numerous of these goods are offered by digital stores, which might cause users to mistakenly think they are not controlled on entry. A lot of these platforms only arrange transactions from abroad acting as an intermediary lacking attention for import regulations.”

Other Confiscations Across Several Areas

Confiscations of objects including a projectile launcher and incendiary device were also made in the state of Victoria, Western Australia, the southern isle and the the central territory, where law enforcement stated they located several homemade weapons, as well as a fabrication tool in the distant settlement of a specific location.