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Police confiscated more than 1,000 guns and firearm components as part of a crackdown aimed at the proliferation of unlawful firearms in the country and its neighbor.

Cross-Border Effort Culminates in Arrests and Recoveries

The week-long international initiative led to more than 180 apprehensions, according to customs agents, and the confiscation of 281 DIY weapons and components, among them products made by additive manufacturing devices.

Local Finds and Arrests

Across the state of NSW, police discovered multiple 3D printers together with semi-automatic handguns, magazines and 3D-printed holsters, among other items.

Local authorities stated they detained 45 individuals and confiscated 518 weapons and weapon pieces in the course of the operation. Multiple persons were faced with violations among them the creation of banned guns without a licence, shipping banned items and possessing a digital blueprint for production of weapons – a violation in various jurisdictions.

“Those 3D printed components might appear bright, but they are far from playthings. When put together, they become deadly arms – entirely illicit and very risky,” an experienced detective stated in a release. “This is the reason we’re targeting the full supply chain, from manufacturing devices to foreign pieces.

“Public safety forms the basis of our weapon control program. Shooters need to be licensed, firearms must be registered, and adherence is absolute.”

Growing Issue of Homemade Guns

Data gathered for an inquiry shows that over the past five years more than 9,000 guns have been lost to theft, and that this year, police executed recoveries of homemade weapons in almost every administrative division.

Court records show that the digital designs currently produced domestically, driven by an internet group of developers and advocates that support an “absolute freedom to own and carry weapons”, are steadily functional and lethal.

Over the past few years the trend has been from “very novice, barely operational, nearly disposable” to higher-quality guns, authorities reported previously.

Customs Discoveries and Web-Based Purchases

Parts that cannot be reliably additively manufactured are commonly acquired from e-commerce sites abroad.

An experienced customs agent commented that more than 8,000 illegal firearms, pieces and attachments had been detected at the frontier in the previous fiscal year.

“Imported firearm parts may be assembled with further privately manufactured parts, forming hazardous and unregistered weapons making their way to our streets,” the official said.

“Many of these items are being sold by online retailers, which could result in individuals to wrongly believe they are permitted on import. A lot of these platforms only arrange transactions from international for the customer with no regard for customs laws.”

Further Seizures Across Various Areas

Seizures of products such as a crossbow and flame-thrower were also made in the state of Victoria, the WA region, the island state and the the NT, where police said they discovered a number of homemade weapons, as well as a fabrication tool in the isolated community of the named area.