One of the weapons that were seized by NSW detectives. Photo: NSW Police
NSW Police detectives have seized more than 150 guns and arrested and charged three people over fake firearm licences.
The discovery and charges followed a police search of properties in Liverpool and Bobs Creek on Tuesday, September 24.
NSW Police said that during a search of the Liverpool property, their officers seized 150 firearms (pistols, shotguns and rifles), thousands of rounds of ammunition, $380,000 in cash and electronic devices.
A 50-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman were arrested and taken to Liverpool Police Station then released.
During a search of the Bobs Creek property, detectives seized two replica firearms, multiple boxes of ammunition, electronic devices and two cannabis plants.
Detectives arrested and charged a 58-year-old woman in Port Macquarie with 14 counts of making false document to obtain financial advantage.
She was granted conditional bail and is due to appear in Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday, October 16, according to police.
A 39-year-old man from the Bobs Creek property was charged with two counts of possessing an unauthorised firearm and possessing ammunition without a licence.
He is due to appear in Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday, November 6, police said.
NSW Police said detectives rearrested the 50-year-old man at Liverpool Police Station on Thursday, October 3, and charged him with 17 counts of licensed firearms dealer fail to keep labels and records as required and supply/give ammunition to person not authorised.
The man was granted conditional bail to appear before Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday, October 16.
NSW Police said the seizures and arrested resulted from Strike Force Excavator, set up in September 2023 to investigate firearms licensing.
The police service said that strike force detectives found evidence that businesses in Liverpool and Bobs Creek, 28 km south of Port Macquarie, may have supplied fake documents to over 1000 applicants, most of them from based in south-west Sydney, with some with links to organised crime, to shoot on a property in far western NSW.
NSW Police said investigations revealed that the far western NSW property owner had only given one applicant permission to shoot on the property.
POLICE CONCERNS
Detectives Superintendent John Watson, Commander of Drug and Firearms Squad, said there are real concerns these licences allowed weapons to end up with criminals.
“What we have uncovered during this investigation is a possible source for criminals across Sydney to fraudulently obtain firearms and cause chaos in our streets,” he says.
“Our detectives will be tracking down every single person who obtained one of these fraudulent firearms licences. We expect that many will have links to organised crime and have been using this exploit to supply legal guns to our streets,” Det Supt Watson said.
“What we are especially concerned about is that there are a number of people who have not put in that effort and are placing the public in danger.”
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence.
The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
