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Authorities taken possession of over 1,000 guns and gun parts in a crackdown targeting the circulation of illegal weapons in Australia and New Zealand.

Cross-Border Effort Results in Arrests and Seizures

A seven-day cross-border initiative culminated in in excess of 180 arrests, based on statements from border officials, and the recovery of 281 privately manufactured firearms and pieces, such as units produced using additive manufacturing devices.

State-Level Finds and Apprehensions

Across the state of NSW, law enforcement found numerous additive manufacturing devices in addition to glock-style pistols, cartridge holders and fabricated carrying cases, in addition to various pieces.

Regional law enforcement said they arrested 45 individuals and confiscated 518 guns and weapon pieces in the course of the initiative. Numerous suspects were charged with crimes including the production of banned weapons without a licence, importing banned items and owning a computer file for manufacture of firearms – an offense in certain regions.

“Such 3D printed components may look bright, but they are serious items. Once assembled, they become lethal weapons – totally unlawful and highly hazardous,” a senior police official commented in a announcement. “This is the reason we’re aiming at the full supply chain, from printers to overseas components.

“Public safety is the foundation of our weapon control program. Shooters need to be authorized, guns must be recorded, and compliance is mandatory.”

Increasing Phenomenon of Homemade Firearms

Information collected as part of an investigation indicates that in the last half-decade over 9,000 firearms have been taken illegally, and that in 2025, law enforcement made seizures of privately manufactured firearms in almost every state and territory.

Judicial files indicate that the 3D models being manufactured domestically, fuelled by an internet group of developers and supporters that advocate for an “complete liberty to own and carry weapons”, are increasingly reliable and dangerous.

During the last three to four years the development has been from “highly unskilled, barely operational, nearly disposable” to higher-quality guns, authorities stated earlier.

Border Discoveries and Digital Purchases

Pieces that are not easily additively manufactured are often purchased from e-commerce sites overseas.

A senior immigration officer commented that over 8,000 illicit guns, components and add-ons had been found at the border in the last financial year.

“Imported gun components are often put together with other homemade parts, producing risky and unregistered weapons filtering onto our neighborhoods,” the agent said.

“Numerous of these goods are offered by online retailers, which may lead individuals to incorrectly assume they are unregulated on entry. A lot of these websites only arrange transactions from abroad acting as an intermediary without any considerations for border rules.”

Additional Seizures In Multiple Territories

Confiscations of items among them a bow weapon and fire projector were also made in Victoria, the WA region, the southern isle and the Northern Territory, where law enforcement said they discovered a number of homemade firearms, in addition to a 3D printer in the isolated community of the named area.