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Authorities have seized more than 1,000 guns and firearm components in a crackdown aimed at the circulation of unlawful firearms in the country and its neighbor.

International Operation Results in Arrests and Confiscations

The week-long cross-border operation resulted in in excess of 180 detentions, according to border officials, and the seizure of 281 homemade guns and components, such as items produced using 3D printers.

Local Finds and Arrests

Across the state of NSW, authorities found multiple additive manufacturing devices alongside pistols of a certain design, magazines and fabricated carrying cases, among other items.

Regional authorities said they detained 45 suspects and confiscated 518 guns and gun components during the operation. Several persons were accused of offences such as the creation of banned guns unlicensed, importing illegal products and owning a computer file for manufacture of guns – an offense in various jurisdictions.

“These 3D printed components may look vibrant, but they are far from playthings. After construction, they turn into lethal weapons – completely illegal and highly hazardous,” an experienced detective commented in a release. “For this purpose we’re targeting the entire network, from manufacturing devices to foreign pieces.

“Citizen protection is the foundation of our firearms licensing system. Shooters must be licensed, guns have to be documented, and conformity is absolute.”

Growing Issue of Privately Made Guns

Data gathered as part of an investigation indicates that over the past five years in excess of 9,000 weapons have been taken illegally, and that this year, authorities made seizures of DIY guns in the majority of regional jurisdiction.

Court records reveal that the 3D models currently produced in Australia, driven by an online community of designers and advocates that advocate for an “complete liberty to keep and bear arms”, are increasingly reliable and deadly.

During the last few years the pattern has been from “very novice, very low-powered, practically single-use” to more advanced firearms, authorities reported at the time.

Immigration Interceptions and Online Purchases

Parts that are not easily 3D-printed are frequently purchased from e-commerce sites overseas.

A high-ranking border official said that over 8,000 illegal weapons, parts and attachments had been detected at the customs checkpoint in the most recent accounting period.

“Overseas firearm parts are often put together with further privately manufactured pieces, creating risky and unregistered firearms filtering onto our neighborhoods,” the officer stated.

“A lot of these products are offered by online retailers, which may lead people to mistakenly think they are unregulated on entry. Numerous of these services only arrange transactions from abroad for the customer lacking attention for customs laws.”

Further Seizures Throughout Multiple Areas

Seizures of objects among them a crossbow and fire projector were further executed in the state of Victoria, the western territory, the island state and the Northern Territory, where authorities said they discovered several DIY weapons, in addition to a fabrication tool in the isolated community of a specific location.