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Law enforcement have seized more than 1,000 guns and gun parts during a crackdown aimed at the proliferation of illicit firearms in Australia and its neighbor.

Transnational Operation Culminates in Apprehensions and Recoveries

A seven-day international operation culminated in in excess of 180 apprehensions, based on statements from customs agents, and the confiscation of 281 homemade weapons and pieces, including units made by 3D printers.

Local Finds and Arrests

In New South Wales, authorities found multiple additive manufacturing devices alongside pistols of a certain design, cartridge holders and 3D-printed holsters, along with other gear.

Regional law enforcement stated they detained 45 people and confiscated 518 guns and gun components during the effort. Several suspects were faced with crimes such as the production of illegal weapons without proper authorization, bringing in banned items and possessing a electronic design for manufacture of firearms – a violation in some states.

“Those fabricated pieces could seem colourful, but they are far from playthings. Once assembled, they are transformed into lethal weapons – completely illegal and extremely dangerous,” a senior police official stated in a release. “That’s why we’re focusing on the complete pipeline, from printers to overseas components.

“Public safety is the foundation of our gun registration framework. Firearm users need to be licensed, weapons must be registered, and conformity is absolute.”

Increasing Trend of Homemade Weapons

Data collected during an inquiry reveals that during the previous five years more than 9,000 firearms have been taken illegally, and that this year, police executed recoveries of DIY weapons in almost every regional jurisdiction.

Judicial files show that the 3D models currently produced within the country, driven by an internet group of designers and supporters that promote an “complete liberty to possess firearms”, are more dependable and dangerous.

During the last three to four years the pattern has been from “extremely amateur, minimally functional, almost a one-shot weapon” to superior guns, law enforcement said at the time.

Immigration Interceptions and Online Transactions

Parts that cannot be reliably 3D-printed are commonly ordered from online retailers abroad.

An experienced customs agent stated that over 8,000 unlawful guns, pieces and accessories had been detected at the frontier in the last financial year.

“Imported weapon pieces may be assembled with additional homemade parts, creating hazardous and unregistered guns filtering onto our neighborhoods,” the officer stated.

“Many of these goods are offered by e-commerce sites, which may lead individuals to mistakenly think they are permitted on shipment. A lot of these websites only arrange transactions from abroad on the buyer’s behalf lacking attention for import regulations.”

Additional Seizures Throughout Multiple Territories

Confiscations of items among them a crossbow and flame-thrower were also made in the southeastern state, Western Australia, the southern isle and the the NT, where authorities said they discovered a number of homemade guns, in addition to a fabrication tool in the isolated community of a specific location.