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Law enforcement confiscated more than 1,000 guns and gun parts as part of a sweep targeting the proliferation of illegal firearms in the nation and the island nation.

Cross-Border Operation Leads to Arrests and Seizures

This extended transnational operation resulted in over 180 arrests, as reported by customs agents, and the seizure of 281 privately manufactured firearms and components, such as units produced using 3D printers.

State-Level Discoveries and Arrests

In New South Wales, authorities discovered numerous 3D printers in addition to glock-style pistols, ammunition clips and custom-made holders, along with other gear.

Local police reported they detained 45 individuals and took possession of 518 weapons and firearm parts in the course of the operation. Several persons were faced with crimes including the production of illegal weapons unlicensed, bringing in banned items and having a electronic design for creation of firearms – a crime in some states.

“Those fabricated pieces could seem bright, but they are serious items. Once assembled, they become deadly arms – completely illegal and highly hazardous,” an experienced detective stated in a release. “For this purpose we’re aiming at the entire network, from fabrication tools to imported parts.

“Public safety sits at the core of our firearms licensing system. Gun owners are required to be authorized, weapons are obliged to be recorded, and adherence is absolute.”

Growing Issue of DIY Weapons

Statistics obtained as part of an probe indicates that in the last half-decade in excess of 9,000 firearms have been reported stolen, and that currently, authorities executed recoveries of privately manufactured firearms in nearly all state and territory.

Court records reveal that the digital designs being manufactured in Australia, driven by an online community of designers and supporters that support an “absolute freedom to possess firearms”, are increasingly reliable and dangerous.

Over the past several years the pattern has been from “very novice, minimally functional, nearly disposable” to superior guns, law enforcement reported earlier.

Immigration Seizures and Online Transactions

Components that cannot be reliably additively manufactured are commonly purchased from online retailers abroad.

A senior border official said that over 8,000 illegal firearms, parts and accessories had been discovered at the frontier in the previous fiscal year.

“Foreign-sourced weapon pieces are often put together with additional privately manufactured pieces, producing risky and unmarked guns filtering onto our communities,” the officer added.

“Numerous of these products are being sold by online retailers, which might cause individuals to wrongly believe they are permitted on shipment. A lot of these websites simply place orders from abroad acting as an intermediary lacking attention for import regulations.”

Other Seizures Across Multiple Regions

Recoveries of products including a projectile launcher and fire projector were additionally conducted in Victoria, Western Australia, the island state and the the central territory, where law enforcement stated they found multiple DIY guns, in addition to a additive manufacturing device in the isolated community of Nhulunbuy.