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Police have seized in excess of 1,000 weapons and weapon pieces during a crackdown targeting the spread of illicit guns in the country and New Zealand.

Transnational Effort Results in Arrests and Recoveries

The week-long transnational initiative resulted in more than 180 apprehensions, according to border officials, and the seizure of 281 homemade guns and components, including units made by additive manufacturing devices.

State-Level Revelations and Detentions

In New South Wales, police located numerous 3D printers alongside glock-style pistols, cartridge holders and 3D-printed holsters, among other items.

State police said they detained 45 people and took possession of 518 guns and gun components as part of the effort. Several suspects were accused of violations such as the manufacture of banned guns without proper authorization, importing illegal products and owning a computer file for production of weapons – a violation in some states.

“Such additively manufactured parts could seem vibrant, but they are serious items. When put together, they become lethal weapons – entirely illicit and very risky,” an experienced detective commented in a release. “For this purpose we’re targeting the complete pipeline, from printers to overseas components.

“Community security forms the basis of our gun registration framework. Firearm users must be registered, firearms have to be registered, and compliance is absolute.”

Growing Phenomenon of Homemade Firearms

Statistics obtained for an inquiry shows that in the last half-decade in excess of 9,000 guns have been taken illegally, and that currently, police executed recoveries of DIY guns in almost every regional jurisdiction.

Court records indicate that the digital designs being manufactured domestically, powered by an online community of developers and advocates that promote an “absolute freedom to keep and bear arms”, are increasingly reliable and lethal.

During the last three to four years the trend has been from “highly unskilled, minimally functional, almost a one-shot weapon” to higher-quality weapons, authorities said at the time.

Immigration Discoveries and Digital Sales

Components that cannot be reliably fabricated are often acquired from e-commerce sites internationally.

An experienced immigration officer commented that in excess of 8,000 illicit weapons, parts and add-ons had been detected at the frontier in the last financial year.

“Overseas firearm parts are often put together with other privately manufactured components, producing risky and unregistered weapons making their way to our neighborhoods,” the official said.

“A lot of these goods are being sold by digital stores, which may lead individuals to mistakenly think they are not controlled on entry. Numerous of these websites just process purchases from overseas for the customer with no regard for customs laws.”

Additional Confiscations Throughout Multiple Regions

Confiscations of products including a bow weapon and flame-thrower were also made in the state of Victoria, Western Australia, the island state and the Northern Territory, where police stated they found multiple privately manufactured weapons, as well as a fabrication tool in the isolated community of Nhulunbuy.